Destiny: Perfected Wrath
by Bruise Li
Summary: A Guardian's work is never done. Thinking that his days of god slaying and world saving were over, a Guardian is called back to a familiar scene, where an old foe is reborn, and eager for revenge. With his light not enough, he must reenlist his old team, and discover the power within to rise up and defend his world once more. Rated M for graphic scenes and language.
1. Chapter One

To say the Farm's bars were rowdy at night would be an understatement. With the tension between the Farm inhabitants and the Guardians always at its peak, most bars had begun having designated fighting hours and areas, usually directly in front of the bartender. If anyone wanted anything to drink, they had to walk straight into the danger zone. Despite this, many Guardians walked in, seemingly without a care, and took their drink. Some were even bold enough to sit at the bar and enjoy their drink, often times deliberately slow. And this night was like every other night. The floor in front of the bartender was virtually empty, save for the wheezing Guardian, curled up into a ball in the corner of the danger zone, tending to a few broken ribs courtesy of the Farm residents. As the Farmer's (what the Guardians called them to spite them) were enjoying their triumph, a new Guardian walked in. From his cloak and armor appearance, he was obviously a Hunter. The Farmers all smiled to each other. The Hunters were their favorite type of Guardian to fight. Always cocky, always ready to take on anyone at anytime. All they needed was a little push. Sometimes, to the Farmer's delight, a literal one. The Farmers, three of them, all large men sporting the same crew cut as the rest of the Farm's makeshift police force, walked up to the Hunter, who had taken his seat at the bar, ignoring his comrade in the corner. His hood was still up, and his mask was still in place, a disturbing mixture of bone and technology that created a sickening view of a smiling Hive Thrall skull that seemed to be covered in Vex tech. The Farmers hesitated and took a closer look at the Hunter. His cloak wasn't as grand as some others they had seen. In fact, it was barely worth noticing. A simple black hood, with tatters of what was left of the cape barely reaching his mid back. Signs of burns and cuts, along with bullet holes, marked the cloak. His armor was similar to the helmet. What looked like a combination of Hive bodies and Vex tech adorned his own body. The Hunter tilted his head to the side, the single eye of his helmet glowing a soft white as he stared into the lead Farmer's eyes. The Farmer swallowed, remembering it's three against one, and did his best to calm himself down.

"What's a Hunter doin in a Warlock bar?" The lead Farmer asked. The bars weren't segregated, but hearing that it was a Warlock exclusive bar often made even the most calm Hunters snap in an instant.

"Getting a drink." The Hunter replied in monotone. The robotic voice that responded shocked the Farmers. What was an Exo doing in a bar? Getting a drink no less? The Farmers were caught off guard, but there was no way they were going to miss the chance to take down an Exo Hunter.

"You're an Exo, ain't ya? The hell you need to drink fer?" The lead Farmer pried. The Exo Hunter sighed and turned around to face them completely. As he did, they caught a glimpse of his weapon, laying lazily on his lap. It was a simple thing, in all honesty. A handcannon, gun metal black with two softly glowing purple eyes on the length of either side of the barrel, closed as if at rest. What caught their attention however, was not the gun. It was the magazine. It was a solid circle. Not like the ridged cylinders they usually see. The Hunter noticed the eyes on his weapon and picked it up off his lap. The Farmers all went for their own weapons, but the Exo put up a finger, causing them to halt in their tracks.

"Relax, fellas, it's empty. Didn't think to reload it before comin in here." He put the gun to his temple and pulled twice, the clicking settling everyone's nerves.

The Exo shrugged, "I didn't expect anything worth my time in here anyway." He said casually. The words sparked anger inside of the Farmers. It wasn't what he said. It was how he said it. He said it not as an insult, but as a fact. As if everyone knew they weren't worth his time.

"Is that so, friend?" The leader spoke, anger lacing his every word. He pulled out his own handcannon, A large behemoth of a thing, intricately designed with looping thorns leading to a blossoming rose surrounding the barrel of the gun. The Exo looked at the weapon impassively.

"Oh look, another Over Compensator. How cute." The Farmers ears burned as his comrades snickered behind him. His manhood had always been a sore topic, and they knew it. He pulled the hammer back on his gun and pointed it directly at the Exo's skull.

"Ya better choose yer next words carefully there, unless you want ta lose your head." The Farmer smiled. The Exo would have to back down. No bullets, and at this range? No one in their right mind would be stupid enough to continue to talk trash.

The Exo looked at the Farmer for a moment, then he spoke.

"Tell me, when your with one of your boyfriends over there, do they like the gun more than your non existent-." The lead Farmer roared in anger and fired off a shot, the recoil almost putting him on his back. The Exo was already moving before the shot fired. His head moved to the side, his hand flicking his gun, causing his circular cylinder to hit the floor. As it hit, it exploded into a cloud of purple smoke that disappeared as quickly as it appeared, taking the Exo with it. The Farmers looked in confusion at one another, before one of them was taken roughly to the ground, the sound of metal on bone resounding through the bar. The other bar inhabitants had stopped what they were doing to watch the event unfold. As the first Farmer was trying to recover, a blur of air moved in what looked like a kick into his jaw, dislocating it and rendering him unconscious. The move caused the Exo to revert to visibility, but with the way he moved, it didn't matter. His hand moved to his hip, where his knife sat in its scabbard, and pulled. The blade came out, but didn't stop where it should have, instead, it grew longer and longer, until it finally came free as a thin metal Ninjato, a blade from Pre-Golden Age lore of silent ninja assassins. The leader turned to fire another shot, but was stopped short as the Hunter brought his blade up in a rising arc, cutting cleanly through his gun like a hot knife through melting butter. As it did, the segment where the blade connected to the gun broke off, dematerializing as it hit the floor. The Exo followed the swing with a spinning back kick that sent the leader flying into an empty table, breaking it into pieces with a loud crash. The last Farmer held a small knife in his violently trembling hand as he stood alone against the Exo. The Exo never stopped moving. Never placing his foot on the ground after the kick, he brought it up in a kick, hitting the shaking hand of the final Farmer, then following the momentum of the kick, the Hunter used the small amount of air time he gained to switch legs and deliver a jaw shattering round kick. He sheathed his blade, only to pull it out instantly as a fully reformed sword. The Farmers blade was sent flying into the ceiling, where it stuck with a solid 'thunk', while the Farmer spun into the wall, his back hitting it before he sank to the ground. The Hunter placed his newly reformed sword at the Farmer's throat.

"See? Told you this wasn't worth my time." The Hunter pulled the blade from the Farmer's neck, sheathing it in its knife length sheath, then delivered a final kick directly into the Farmer's face. In a spray of blood, his head bounced back into the wall, his eyes fluttered shut, and he fell unconscious, just like his comrades. The Exo took one more look at the three and sighed before turning his attention to the Guardian in the corner. He was an Awoken Warlock, his robes draped around him like a blanket given to children. With the way he moaned and how he curled into a ball, he looked like a child as well. The Hunter stepped towards him, his boots the only sound in the bar. He came to a halt in front of the Warlock's face and crouched.

He stared in silence as the Warlock looked up at him with an unwanted desire to be helped. Warlocks hated Hunters, and Hunters felt the same. After a moment, the Hunter stood up with a grunt and did a small check to ensure all of his gear was intact and reloaded. The Warlock watched him with confused eyes before finally clearing his throat and speaking.

"H-Hey there, Hunter. You mind helpin out a fellow Guardian? I'm in a rough spot right now and-" the words never left his mouth. The Hunters boot crashed onto his throat, crushing it with an audible crunch. The Warlock gurgled a plea for help, reaching up to ask him to stop, but the Hunter paid him no mind, instead putting the barrel of his gun on the Warlock's hand and firing. The gun sounded like a canon, deafening the bar with its roar. The bullet went through the Warlock's hand and into his skull, silencing him quickly. The Warlock's Ghost appeared after a moment, confused and disoriented. It saw no danger. Only a Hunter with a blood splattered mask. Without saying a word, the Hunter fired again, directly Into the Ghost's eye, killing it and leaving the Warlock to his second death. The Hunter holstered his gun, then paid for his drink, apologizing for the mess before exiting the bar, the Warlock's body draped over his shoulder as if it were a cloak. He took the body into the woodland outside of the Farm, ensuring he was far enough away to not be bothered by the Farmers, and close enough that the Fallen or anything else would be well clear of him, and burnt the Warlock body. He watched the robes burn away, then the skin before finally all was left was scarred bones and ash. He watched the embers float away into the night sky, glowing along side the planets and the stars. His eyes rested on Saturn, and his mind replayed the battle between his Fireteam and Oryx.

He blinked away the face of the late Taken King and looked down to his gun.

" 'See no evil, and let no evil see you' eh?" The Hunter mumbled as his thumbs ran across the eyes of the gun.

"It's good for not being seen, give it that much." He chuckled as he holstered the gun.

"Figures it would. The name fits it at least. 'Now You See Me'." He stretched and laid down beside the fire, and with his eyes set on Saturn, he slept, unaware of the horrors being born on Saturn's destroyed rings.

Author's Note: Enjoy the story so far? Stay tuned, there's more to come!


	2. Chapter Two

Morning came over the Exo's makeshift campground, but the Exo had risen ahead of the sun. He sat sharpening his blade when the sun shined its first rays of light. He looked up at the sun, forgetting the blade in his hand, and took in the glow. It reminded him of home. Of his son and wife. As he let the sun wash over him, his Ghost emerged, seemingly agitated. It gave out an electronic sigh that reminded the Exo of himself.

"Incoming transmission from Cayde. Emergency channel...again." The Ghost said in a groan. "Ishi, you told him that the emergency channel was for...well, emergencies, right?" The Exo, Ishi, simply sighed.

"Just patch him through, Ghost." He stated bluntly. The Ghost whirred for a second before Cayde's voice came through.

"Hey there, Ishi! How's it goin? Just thought I'd check in on my favorite Hunter and see how he's doin. Oh, yeah, we should really get a drink like you keep promising-"

"Out with it, Cayde. I've told you before that the emergency coms are for emergencies." Ishi interrupted.

"Oh, I know, but you never answer when it's normal com frequencies. Starting to think you're ignoring me on purpose, but I know that isn't tru-"

"It is."

Cayde remained quiet for a second, giving Ishi's ears a much needed break from his mouth. His blissful silence was broken by Cayde's laugh.

"I know you're kidding, 'cause everyone loves me."

Ishi started to say otherwise but was interrupted by Cayde, his voice dropping to a more hushed, serious tone.

"Is it done, Ishi?" He asked.

"Had some Farmers causing trouble, but yeah, target is neutralized, Ghost killed, body burned."

Cayde let out a stress laden sigh.

"I hate having to make you do this, but rebellious Guardians like him need to be put down. Too many lives are at stake when a Guardian goes unchained like he did. I still can't believe he did all those things. Raped a little girl, ya know. In front of her parents and all. Then cut off her head and tossed it back to the parents. When they caught it, the fusion grenade he put in her neck went off and killed them both. It was awful to see, Guardian. Thank you for putting a monster like that down."

Ishi grunted in approval. He didn't want Cayde to tell him about the murder scene. He was there with him. He saw it and wish he hadn't.

"Cayde, I'm going off coms for today. It's my day off. I'll come back later tomorrow afternoon."

"Understood, Guardian. Take care."

The signal dropped and the Ghost sighed. "You have the worst job. Killing other Guardians permanently? It's disgusting. But it needs to be done, I guess. Where to now, Ishi?"

Ishi looked at his Ghost.

"Going home. Where else?" The Ghost seemed to nod and dematerialized. Ishi made a quick check to ensure his gear was all accounted for, then another check.

Satisfied, he began his trek through the woods toward his home. He walked in silence as the sun gained height above him. He admired the nature around him, and began to finally relax.

"Guardian, life signature detected ahead," the Ghost said suddenly, breaking Ishi's relaxation. "Most likely Fallen. Only one. Should be quick and easy."

Ishi grunted and pulled out his Ninjato blade and began moving in a cat like crouch. His radar seemed to be on the fritz, because nothing was showing up. He grunted again.

That meant it was a Stealth Vandal or Dreg, which made the possibility of it being a hand to hand fight almost one hundred percent. He came to a tree and stopped suddenly. He moved slowly behind the tree and laid his back up to it. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small mirror, and held it out to the side of him.

There it is. Uncloaked and unaware, a lone Vandal with a half mask crouched over a deer. Next to him laid a shock blade and shock knife. It's eyes seemed to be closed in thought, or maybe even prayer. Ishi pocketed his mirror and eyed the tree he hid behind. It's branches were low enough to grab if he jumped twice. He waited for a moment, until a strong breeze came. As it passed by him, he jumped, the wind masking his jump. He grabbed a low hanging branch and swung himself on top of it. He looked down at the Vandal, still sitting in the same place, eyes still closed. Ishi moved from his tree to the next, then the next, until he was above the Vandal. He pulled out a smoke capsule and gripped it tightly in his palm. He counted silently in his head.

3...

2...

1...

He dropped, his Ninjato held in an underhanded grip to drive down the Vandal's skull. As he neared the Vandal, the distance closing rapidly, the Vandal moved. No, not moved, he vanished. Ishi had never seen anyone move so quickly from a crouched position like that. His blade met dirt as the Vandal rolled away, his shock blade in his lower right arm, his shock knife in his lower left. He held his blades both in the underhanded fashion. Ishi readied himself, sinking into his stance and began scanning his foe for an opening. The Vandal's defense was tight. He kept his shock blade in his center, his knife hand poised for a counter strike. They stared at each other for a time, and it was only then that Ishi realized that the Vandal was on defense. A stealth Vandal was never on defense. He was curious, but he shook his head and readied himself to strike. "Ishi, he seems to not want to fight." His Ghost whispered. Ishi shrugged and charged, his blade held in his right hand behind his back. "Just makes things easy for me!" He shouted as he brought the sword across in a horizontal slash meant to decapitate the Vandal. The Vandal saw it coming, and smoothly sidestepped, giving him access to Ishi's back. Annoyed, Ishi followed through, using the momentum to bring a spinning round house kick to the Vandal's side. The Vandal stepped in and turned toward the kick, meeting it early and inside on Ishi's thigh, removing any power it should have had. It pushed Ishi back with the hilt of his shock blade and returned to a defensive stance. Ishi fell back but recovered quickly, rolling back to his feet. He growled.

"Alright now, you wanna play? He switched his sword from its underhanded position back to its proper upright place and charged again. "Then let's play!" He shouted as he neared the Vandal.

It prepared for the attack, but only saw the small black smoke capsule fly into his face, followed by Ishi's fist, causing it to detonate. The Vandal coughed and fell back in retreat, immediately looking for Ishi. The Vandal sniffed, and his body stiffened. He remembered the smell of a Hunter and the different smoke they had. He calmed his nerves and listened for movement. Suddenly, he lept forward, spinning in the air and sliding to a stop to face the reappeared Hunter that faced him. His blade stuck right where the Vandal was at. Ishi growled in frustration and pulled out his blade.

"You're an aggravating little shit, you know that?" Ishi said as he walked forward, sword gripped tightly. The Vandal backed up, but was stopped short by a tree on his back. Ishi charged once more.

"You're screwed now, buddy!" Ishi gripped the blade in both hands and drove it toward the Vandal's chest. The Vandal roared suddenly, and brought his blade up, deflecting Ishi's sword up and into the tree. Unable to pull his blade free, he was left open for the Vandal's fist in his stomach, making him lurch forward involuntarily. The Vandal followed up with a rising knee to Ishi's head, causing it to ring as he popped off his feet, but only for a moment, as the Vandal grabbed his arm and pulled him back, spinning and slamming him into the ground over his shoulder in a practiced judo throw. Ishi's body filled with pain. He rolled over, but was met by a foot that flipped him onto his back, his head hitting the tree, a shock blade pointed at his head.

Ishi eyed the blade and looked up at the Vandal. Its face was calm. It didn't even break a sweat. This was child's play to him. Ishi groaned and closed his eyes.

"Guess it's too late to talk this out, eh?"

The next sound he would hear, the last sound, would be the sound of blade cutting him down.

So...why didn't he hear it yet?


	3. Chapter 3

The Hunters were taught how to strike quickly. To strike without mercy or hesitation. They were trained with the blade, until it was no longer an arm wielding the knife, but simply an extension of it. A Hunter is to be one with his blade, and his blade is to be one with him. He is to be the paragon of style and finesse, and the bane of his enemies existence. This is what the Hunters were taught. This is what Ishi-99 was taught. He never questioned these teachings.

However, when one is faced with death, they question everything. Such as why a veteran Hunter was able to be put down by a lone Vandal in a sword fight.

"This Vandal is going to kill me." he thought as he eyed the shock blade being held by the Vandal. But it didn't. Its blade was inches from his head. It could have pierced him and ended him and put him to his second death.

Instead, the Vandal laughed.

It laughed, then spoke to him, in a thick Eliksni accent, in broken English.

"You fight...strange. Almost killed me. Teach, yes?"

Ishi stared blankly for a moment, trying to comprehend what he heard. Then he let out a laugh of his own, and replied with his best rendition of Eliksni speech.

"Only if you teach too...yes?"

The Vandal cocked his head to the side, then dropped his blade and howled with laughter. He extended one of his hands, and helped Ishi to his feet. They traveled together for a short time, trading stories, as well as names. The Vandal was named Tariks. He was exiled from his house for being too compassionate towards the enemy, and had been wandering the forests of the European DeadZone for months, scavenging and hunting for survival. He told Ishi that he had no intention of harming someone blessed with the Great Machine's blessing, and swore a blood oath to himself to never kill another Guardian. When Ishi questioned what he would do if the Guardian aimed to kill, Tariks simply shrugged, his lower arms crossing as his upper limbs reached behind his head, his eyes set on the sky, and told him that if that day came, he would be ready to accept it, if the Guardian was strong enough to actually take him down. They both shared a laugh, and bonded, spending the night in the forest together, taking turns on watch. When the morning came, Ishi asked Tariks to come to his home.

"You wish for me to stay with you? Is that wise?" Tariks asked in his native tongue. They had agreed to speak to each other in their own language, as they could understand each other

"My wife gets bored and my son actually thinks you're cooler than Guardians." Ishi replied. Tariks seemed to brighten up a bit, and Ishi assumed that this was the Eliksni equivalent to blushing. Tariks quickly recovered and looked at Ishi questioningly.

"A spouse AND a child? But...you are an...Exo, yes? How does that work?"

Ishi shrugged. "I may be an Exo up here," he pointed to his head, "But down here I'm all human." He pointed to his crotch and laughed as Tariks swatted his hand away, stifling a laugh of his own.

After they had ceased their laughing, they sat in silence, until Tariks sighed and picked up his blade from the dirt where they had stopped to rest.

"Yes yes, very well. Take me to your home. There, you shall teach me your ways of combat, and I shall teach you mine, yes?" Tariks have a strange gesture that Ishi assumed was an attempt at a thumbs up, and Ishi nodded. "You'll like my son. He actually taught me how to speak your tongue."

Tariks chuckled quietly at that.

"He taught you our tongue? Very clever boy. How did he learn?"

Ishi stopped for a moment to think, then spoke again, taking a more solemn tone.

"He was raised by a friendly Fallen mother. I found him when he was just six years old. He was hiding inside of a dead Fallen's arms with five other dead Fallen around him. He was holding a knife and shaking from the cold. When I asked where his parents were, he looked at me, without any fear, and simply pointed the Fallen he was laying with. He couldn't speak English at the time, so we taught him, and he, in turn, taught me to speak Eliksni." Ishi sighed happily.

"Little trouble maker hasn't stopped talking to me in your language. Says it rolls off his tongue better. He thinks you're the real heroes."

Tariks remained quiet for a moment, his head held down. He coughed and moved forward quickly.

"Your house is this way, yes?" He said as he continued briskly walking forward.

"Hm? Oh yeah, it's just over this hill. Oh, and Tariks?" Tariks stopped and turned to face Ishi.

"Do me a favor. Tell my son, Xhaiden, about the Whirlwind. About how your people were heroes before I was. He doesn't believe me when I tell him. But maybe he'll believe it from one of his heroes." Tariks blinked, unsure of what to say, of what to do. Finally, he simply nodded, a smile showing brightly behind his half mask.

"Of course. An Eliksni is to know of their heritage, yes?"

Ishi nodded in agreement, and together the reached the top of the hill, and below them, laid Ishi's home.

"Tariks, I present to you my ketch.

Welcome, to the Prism Oasis."


	4. Chapter 4

Ishi and Tariks stood at the top of the hill that overlooked Ishi's home and took in the scenery. What Ishi called his "ketch" was more like a very large skiff, but it was still far larger than Tariks had previously thought. A large farm, growing various vegetables spanned the left side, and a open field with practice dummy's and targets covered the right. Tariks was breathless.

"Pretty nice, right?" Ishi said as he gestured to the ship that seemed to be where he actually lived. "Found the ship crash landed a few miles east of here. Hollowed it out and had a friend tow it here. Been tinkering and building it up ever since." Ishi let out a satisfied sigh that told Tariks that Ishi was extremely proud of himself and the work he had done to it. Tariks eyed the skiff and noticed an unfamiliar marking on its side.

"That sigil...what house is that? It does not resemble any of our sigils." Ishi rubbed his head and sighed. "Oh, that's Xhaiden's marking. Those triangles are actually prisms. The top one holds the letter that is called Alpha. The one on the bottom holds the letter called Omega. It's supposed to mean that one can not shine without the other's light." Tariks nodded in acknowledgment.

"Your boy is clever, yes? Maybe he could teach me more than you can."

"Honestly? Probably." The two shared a soft laugh and began their decent down the hill to the home. A young, lightly tanned boy with blonde, almost white, dreadlocked hair poked his head out of one of the doors of the home, saw the two approaching, and began screaming in an excited Eliksni voice.

"Is that your son? How did you say his name? Shaydeen?"

Tariks asked, finding the boy's screams amusing.

"Xhaiden. It...just call him Zay or X. Most people have trouble with it too." Ishi said as he beckoned his son toward him. The boy ran quickly and met the pair midway to the house. The boy was smiling brightly as if he was given a toy before his birthday. His eyes never left Tariks' body. It looked over him with increasing interest and excitement. After a moment, still scanning over Tariks, he frowned.

"Where are your colors?" He asked in Eliksni. "Where is your sigil? What house are you from? Are you an outcast? Did you ever fight any of the other houses? Did you kill any Guardians?" Xhaiden continued to bombard Tariks with questions, and it was almost too much for him to handle. He put his hands up to stop the boy and laughed.

"I was of the House of Devils. I am outcast, yes. Only for a few months though. Feel free to ask me anything that may-"

"Did you know a Vandal named Masik?" The boy interrupted suddenly. Tariks thought for a moment then shook his head.

"Sorry, but I don't know a Masik."

The boy's face fell as his shoulders slumped. "Oh...okay. Thank you." Xhaiden mumbled.

Tariks bent down to Xhaiden's level.

"Was Masik a Devil? Were they someone you knew?"

"That was mommy. They found out she had me with her and hunted her. She died protecting me." Xhaiden said. Tears welled in his eyes, but he held them at bay. Tariks stayed quiet for a moment before removing his mask to show his full face.

"Masik...she was a stealth Vandal. Very skilled. Very sneaky, yes?" Tariks asked softly. Xhaiden's eyes lit up and he looked at Tariks with renewed happiness. "Ya! She was the best fighter in all of the Devils!" He exclaimed. Tariks laughed softly. "Yes yes, that she was. She made many others hurt for days at a time."

Xhaiden looked at Tariks with confused and hopeful eyes.

"...Does that mean that you knew her after all...?" He asked.

Tariks nodded his head.

"She taught me to fight. I was her favorite pupil. It was a shame she disappeared. I never knew why until now. Had forgotten her, to be honest." Tariks smiled and tussled Xhaiden's hair.

"She would have been proud to see what a fine boy you have grown up to be." Xhaiden smiled and finally let his tears fall freely, and Tariks held him as he wept. Ishi looked on silently, wishing he could smile as much as he felt like he should be. Xhaiden dried his tears after a few minutes and pulled away from Tariks' embrace.

"What's your name? Will you be staying with us?" He asked.

"I am called Tariks. And if your father and mother are okay with it, I shall be delighted to stay with you." Tariks rose to his feet. "By the way, your name is strange, even by human standards. What does your name mean?"

Xhaiden thought for a moment, then answered.

"I think it means 'Cleansing Beam of Light'." Tariks looked at the boy, with bright eyes, bright hair, and a brighter smile, then looked at Ishi.

"That name suits you well, Xhaiden. Very well indeed."


	5. Chapter 5

After Tariks and Xhaiden left each other's embrace, the trio entered the house. The smell of garlic and sauce wafted through the home.

"Ishi!" A female voice shouted somewhere deeper in the house. "If you came home with a guest without telling me again I swear by the light I will make you wish you stayed dead!" Ishi winced and slowly began stepping back out into the front.

"What's that, sweetie? Why would I ever do that?" He shouted back before turning to Tariks and adding in a hushed voice "Quick. Walk in with Xhaiden. If she asks, he found you and brought you home for dinner." Tariks said nothing in response. He just stared at Ishi. No, he was staring through him.

"Tariks? Hello?" Ishi raised a hand to wave it in front of him, but was stopped short by an almost transparent white hand.

"Now, honey, what do we have here? Is this ANOTHER uninvited guest?" A voice belonging to a female with long, stark black hair with a menacing smile came from behind Ishi.

If an Exo had blood, Ishi's would have been frozen solid. Tariks stifled a laugh and hid his face behind one of his hands to hide a smile. Ishi turned his head slowly to the woman.

"Hi there, Aleks, my sweetie pie. How is my bundle of light-" Aleks yanked his hand back, twisting it and locking it behind his back. He yelped loudly, much to Tariks amusement. Aleks' pleasantly menacing face turned into an icy glare directed at Tariks.

"And you, Eliksni," she said in surprisingly fluid Eliksni speech, "Where are your manners? You walk into another woman's house and don't introduce yourself? You boys are nothing but trouble, I swear." Tariks straightened himself, standing at flawless military attention.

"Pardon me, ma'am, my name is Tariks, I have no House, and I am honored to be invited into your lovely home. It reminds me of my own skiff." Aleks scoffed and let go of Ishi's arm, pushing him away with a kick.

"Well, Tariks, would you like to join us for dinner? I hope you like human food. Preferably pizza." She walked past them as she spoke, not giving them a chance to respond.

"Oh, and Xhaiden?" She said, stopping directly next to his hiding spot behind Tariks.

"...Yes, mother?"

"I see that trail of dirt you brought in, and I know it's not from the farm. You were in the practice field and trying to act like you were inside so I wouldn't catch you, weren't you."

It wasn't a question of wether or not he did it. It was wether or not he would admit to it. Xhaiden remained silently, then dropped his head.

"Well...I mean...yes..." he said with a sigh, defeated.

She simply nodded in silence and walked away, back to the source of the smell of food.

"If you're going to practice, have one of these two rude men show you how to do it right."

Xhaiden beamed and turned toward the practice field.

"AFTER dinner, of course."

Xhaiden deflated and mumbled his reluctant agreement. Ishi laughed and rubbed his son's head.

"Relax, me and Tariks will both teach you. He actually beat me in a fight earlier."

Xhaiden looked between the two in awe.

"No way! Mr. Tariks, you beat dad? You have to teach me! Like, HAVE to!" He exclaimed. Tariks nodded in eager agreement.

"I barely won. Your father is quite the swordsman. Not to mention he is quite creative with his smoke capsules."

Ishi rubbed his head in embarrassment and pushed them both toward the kitchen, where the food laid in wait.

"Well, we can reminisce later. For now, you two need to eat before Aleks tears me apart for delaying you two. I'll join you both in a minute, okay?" Tariks nodded along with Xhaiden, who had taken his hand and already begun dragging him to the kitchen, talking up a storm and asking questions about Tariks and his life on board a ketch.

As soon as the two disappeared, Ishi sighed and turned to enter his room. It was a simple place, adorned with a variety of spoils of war from his many battles. He laid down on his bed, closed his eyes, and tried his best to sleep. As he finally started to drift away, his Ghost materialized, frantically pacing around the room.

"Ishi, Ishi, this is bad. This is really Really bad." His Ghost said, flying around Ishi like a buzzing gnat.

"You people do not ever let me sleep, do you?" He swatted at the Ghost lazily without looking.

"Ishi, sleep later! It's Cayde, he sent out a mission for you. It's...it's the Dreadnought. Something's happening."

Ishi sprung awake in an instant, staring hard at the Ghost.

"How serious are we talking about?"

The Ghost stopped pacing and turned from Ishi.

"Zavala has started calling all active Guardians. They think the Taken have a new king."

Ishi stared blankly at the back of his Ghost. This couldn't be happening. This can't be real.

"Send a transmission to Cayde. Tell him to call my team. Tell him to do it now." Ishi was rushing around his room, picking up ammo synthesis and fastening his knife into its scabbard.

"Ishi, he can't just-"

"Do it now, Ghost!" He barked before storming out of the room. Aleks came from the kitchen with a concerned look on her face.

"Ishi? Is everything okay?"

He looked at her, his mask in place, and that was enough of an answer. Tariks came behind her shortly after, and from Ishi's poise, understood immediately. He gave a small thanks to Aleks, and said his good byes to Xhaiden before joining Ishi as he walked to his ship.

Ishi stopped before walking on board, his back turned to Tariks.

"If you come, you listen to me and you keep your ass in check." He said coldly.

Tariks walked past him without hesitation.

"Then shouldn't you be the one in front of me?" Tariks tossed back a smile and without another word, he boarded the ship. Ishi followed silently, and within moments, they had taken off and began their journey to the Dreadnought.

As they exited earth's atmosphere, Ishi mumbled, gripping the head of his ship's dashboard tightly.

"There will not be another king. I will not allow it." He muttered his promise over and over, his own personal vow, his war chant, until the destroyed rings of Saturn came into view, where the Dreadnought laid, once dormant, now alive.

Alive, and worst of all, changed.

 _Author's note: two chapters coming your way! This is the first, and the second is right behind it! Hope you like guys and gals like a bit of action!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Ampitheatrum_ _Flavianum Intrare! "Enter The Colosseeum!"_

Ishi stared unbelievably at the newly transformed Dreadnought. The outer hull was completely covered by the Taken goo. At least, Ishi believed it was the Taken goo. It looked...different. It looked wrong. It pulsed unnaturally, and glowed a soft white and red. Everything around the Dreadnought was feeling the effects of the Taken dimension, bits of debris were being twisted and converted into new shapes, being consumed and spat back out in different places. Ishi blinked and tried to process it all. Were they too late? Had the new king already taken full control so quickly?

"Ishi...this is...it's not just Taken,"

Ghost said, sharing Ishi's disbelief.

"I'm getting traces of SIVA as well, but it seems modified. Perfected, almost. The Taken energy and the SIVA seem to be mixing and converting each other until there is nothing left to convert. This is bad, Ishi. They're steadily perfecting each other!"

"Ghost, who picked up from that transmission you sent before we left home?" Ishi asked. "What transmission?" The Ghost replied bluntly. Ishi groaned.

"Not the time for this, Ghost."

"Everyone picked up. Only one person actually said something, but it was in really bad latin, and it was so loud that the only word I only slightly could hear was something that sounded like 'Pound more dead things'!" Ishi sighed.

"So Leo is coming. Most likely without a gun. Again. Dammit." Tariks gave out a low hiss as his mind remembered the SIVA that destroyed his House.

"Vile creation. Turned my Devils to monsters. Savages. This must be stopped."

Ishi nodded and grabbed his gun, tossing Tariks a Shock Pistol he kept for safe keeping inside his ship.

"Fully loaded and in perfect condition. I have a feeling this is gonna be one helluva fight.

Send us in, Ghost. Let's put down this rising king." Ghost nodded, and within moments, they were transmatted into the breach caused by the Cabal Skyburners ship all those years ago. The scenery on the inside of the ship was just as twisted as the outer hull. The ground pulsated between white light that put the stars to shame, to a blackness that made an abyss seem bright. Ishi saw other Guardians being transmatted in, but to his despair, none were his old fireteam. He cursed under his breath and checked his ammo on his handcannon.

"Zavala should have known better," he mumbled as he walked down the path to The Mausoleum.

"These are kids. Amateurs. They never fought the Taken before. They don't know how to handle something like this. They can't even go fight whatever it is that's controlling the Taken now. They aren't Ascendent." He re-holstered his gun, then motioned for Tariks to fall in behind him, and together they made a sprint for the portal that would take Ishi and Tariks to the room that housed the next portal, the one leading to Oryx's throne room. As he neared it, he felt the Ascendent energy from the crystal he took from Crota's tomb resonate with the portal, causing it to open. Before he stepped in, he stopped and turned to Tariks.

"Take this. It should let you walk through the portal." He tossed him a small rock that slowly swirled and pulsed with a strange green smoke.

Tariks tilted his head in confusion.

"Where is your green rock, Ishi?" He asked. Ishi shrugged in response.

"I kept that rock your holdin' on me for so long that it began to seep into my Light. I'm technically an Ascendent Hive Knight now, so I don't need that rock anymore." He turned back to the portal. "Now enough talk. We got a job to do." He closed his eyes, counting to three, then walked through the portal, with Tariks close behind him. Upon reemergence, the first thing Ishi and Tariks saw were bodies. Guardians laid sprawled on the ground, bodies ripped and torn by some savage beast. Blood coated the walls like thick paint.

The Guardians weren't the only ones whose bodies were laid to waste. Ghosts, Fallen and Hive added to the scene. It was grotesque. Ishi had never seen so much death in such a way before.

Tariks simply averted his gaze, scowling as he saw Devil Splicer bodies, as well as unmodified Devil Vandals.

"Death was not picky, was it?" Tariks said as he kicked a Hive Knight head. It flew into the wall and crumbled into bone dust.

"No, it wasn't. And that bothers me." Ishi said. "There are too many Guardians here. Not this many had access to Crota's soul to become Ascendent. And the Fallen should never have been able to get it." He groaned in frustration. "This doesn't make any sense. How did they get here?" As Ishi and Tariks scanned their surroundings to try and grasp the situation, Ishi caught sight of the orb. The orb they saw when they first met Oryx. It was black now, with a red mist rising from it. Ishi stared at the light. He knew what this meant. This new king, for however much longer he would be king, wanted them to come to him. Ishi growled and drew out his gun. "Alright. You want to follow your king's footsteps? You want to play? Let's play." He broke into a sprint and followed the light as it darted away, as it always did. Tariks followed close behind. As they ran forward, the heard the sounds of gunfire, and the echoes of dying Hive and Fallen. The pair slowed to a jog as they came to the portal that took Ishi to the throne room. The sounds became much more defined, the sound of death clear to them now.

"Ishi...I hear a blade of some sort." Tariks said in surprise.

Ishi sighed and holstered his gun. He sat down on a pile of Hive thrall that had been eviscerated and leaned back. Tariks looked at Ishi with a disappointed glare.

"Aren't you supposed to be perceptive? Why are you just-" Ishi held up a finger to silence Tariks, then simply pointed in the direction of the battle sounds.

"Go take a look. We ain't got nothin to do but wait now." Confused, Tariks walked cautiously to the corner, peering around it slowly to see what Ishi was so calm about.

As soon as Tariks saw, he understood immediately. A Titan was wreaking havoc on everything that moved. He held a black shield in his left hand, and a crude single edged axe in his right. Saying that the Titan danced would have done him no justice. He didn't dance. This was no waltz of death,

No song of blade and shield.

This was just pure, unadulterated, slaughter. Tariks watched the Titan as he knocked a Hive Knight's boomer to the side, causing its blast to take out a few of its acolytes, then swing his axe across the Knight's neck, severing head from body. He kicked the body with the force of a tank and sent the body sprawling into a column, where it broke into dust. Not satisfied, the Titan turned his attention to a Splicer who was locked in a brawl with another Guardian, a female Hunter with a damaged chest piece and no knife to defend herself. With no hesitation, he roared something in a language Tariks didn't understand, and suddenly explode in void light, cackling and howling madly as he hurled his shield at the fighting pair in front of him. The shield smashed into the pair, tearing the two apart from each other. The Splicer fell to the floor and screamed in pain as ether flowed from his newly severed arms, and the Hunter lay dazed as her helmet showed a very clear cut through it and directly down to her skull, where her blood began to rise from the wound.

The Titan followed his shield throw with a leap, and landed on the Splicer's chest, caving it in with his boots while his axe split the Splicer's head in two. He yanked his axe out of the Splicer, then turned quickly and launched it at the Hunter, who was beginning to slowly rise, and cemented itself in the Hunter's head. The Hunter fell back to the floor again as her Ghost rose and immediately moved as far from the Titan as it could. It was only then that Tariks realized that there were other Ghosts were also cowering in the corners of the room.

Clearly this Titan was the cause of the killings they had seen earlier. It reminded Tariks of a demon from human religion. And the Titan did look the part. His helmet was black, save for the golden teeth that lined the top and bottom of the visor, making the whole helmet seem to be simply the large, abysmal jaw of the Devil himself. His armor followed the helmet's appearance; all black, save for the gold lining and trim, and the barbed horns and claws on his hands, feet and shoulders. Tariks shuddered at the thought of the atrocities the Titan could have committed and turned to go back to Ishi when the Titan roared.

"PIRATE!" He screamed. His voice was unnaturally deep, and it demanded immediate respect.

"Ampitheatrum Flavianum intrare!"

The Titan shouted. He began beating his shield with his axe, the blood spraying off his blade with every thump of his shield. Tariks stood petrified as the Titan readied himself and began pacing slowly towards him.

"Hey, Leo, the colosseum can wait. Calm yourself for just one minute." Ishi said, suddenly appearing behind Tariks as the remnants of his invisibility wore off.

The Titan, Leo, stopped moving and cocked his head to the side in confusion, then spread his arms wide.

"Ishi! You made it after all!" He exclaimed. Ishi eyed the bodies of Guardians and their horrified Ghosts hovering in hiding and sighed.

"Still a gladiator I see. Did you really have to kill those Guardians at the front of the portal too?" He asked. Leo looked at Ishi hard.

"What? They were dead before I got here. I only killed four Guardians, six Splicers, and ten Hive." Leo said matter of factly.

Leo looked around at the Ghosts in the corners and the bodies laying around him.

"The fact that there're Guardians here besides us is strange, but Fallen? How in the hell did they get this far?"

Ishi shook his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I was thinking the same thing. How did these people get in?" They stood in silence for a moment, the three staring at the bodies of the Guardians as the Ghosts slowly came to their Guardians and resurrected them, and the Fallen, whose bodies were letting ether flow freely into the air from their killing blows. Leo turned to Tariks.

"Is this one yours, Ishi?" He asked, seeming eager to kill something again.

"Not mine. I don't own him. He's with us. So keep your bloodlust to a minimum. He can fight. We'll need the help."

Ishi turned to the Guardians who were up and moving again and pointed to the exit.

"I suggest you leave," he drew his gun and pointed at the Guardians.

"Because I don't stop at just killing you. If you catch my drift." He summoned his Ghost and placed his barrel on the back of it, making a little 'poof' sound to show what he meant. The Guardians took the hint and quickly ran for the exit.

"You. Hunter with the head wound."

Ishi called. The female that had died last stopped and turned on their heels. They seemed furious.

"What? What does a Guardian killer with a Vandal friend and a butcher want with me?" She asked, her voice quite high, and extremely aggravating.

"Do you have an Ascendant Shard?" He asked, doing his best to deal with her voice and attitude.

He couldn't really blame her. He's usually pretty pissy when he dies too.

"Ascendent what? No. I just walked in. Same with everyone else. Is that all, Guardian killer?" Ishi began to feel his temper rise.

"Wanna explain to me why you keep callin' me 'Guardian Killer'? You're really startin' to piss me off when you say it. Actually, you saying anything pisses me off." Ishi rubbed his gun and secretly prayed she would try something. Anything. Just to give him a reason. She scoffed and pointed at his gun.

"Black gun with purple eyes, a helmet made from Hive bones and Vex tech, and you're an Exo. Unless I'm mistaken, you're the one who hunts down Guardians and kills them and their Ghosts, right?" Ishi stood silently. No use trying to lie. She knew. She shrugged.

"Honestly thought you were a myth, but now that I see you're real,

I'm not impressed." She turned her back and began to walk out. Ishi raised his gun and it was all he could do to not blow her head off.

"Just hope you don't turn out like the Ghost Eater." She mumbled before turning the corner and disappearing from sight. Ishi holstered his gun and threw a single fingered salute at the path the female took.

"Jackass. Who the hell is the Ghost Eater?" He looked at Leo and Tariks, but they both shrugged. Ishi was about to say something else, when the portal to the throne room opened. This portal was different than the first one. It shined black and red, similar to the orb that Ishi and Tariks had followed. They eyed the portal suspiciously.

Then the voice came. It roared out of the portal, making it shake as the words "COME" came through. It was what was expected of Hive royalty. Deep, oozing with power and hatred, and cocky beyond belief. This voice was as average as you could get. Ishi relaxed, and Leo smiled under his helmet. Even Tariks stretched and grinned a bit.

This wasn't a threat.

They all walked through the portal with the utmost confidence, and appeared moments later at the large carving that held the glyphs of the Hives gods. The door was just on the other side. They walked up to the door that would open to the throne room, and stopped. The voice kept speaking, it doing nothing more than giving the three more and more confidence. At least, it did until they heard the words clearly from the other side of the door, no longer the supposedly threatening boom, but instead, a low growl.

"Come and see the perfection of a god, little lights. Show me how little a gladiator and a stone can do against a god." Tariks laughed.

"His threats are empty, yes? We shall slay ourselves a king!" He turned to Leo and Ishi, but found their previous bravado gone. They stood in place, shaking in terror.

"Ishi? Titan? What has happened?" He asked.

Ishi turned to Tariks, the eye of his mask meeting Tariks.

"Only one person has ever called us those names.

And that person, that creature, should still be rotting along the edges of Saturn's rings."

Before Tariks could question him, the doors opened, and in the center, the red mist of SIVA and the throb of Taken energy surrounding him, was a king.

No. Not a king

THE king.

"I've waited for this moment for so long, little pebble." The king said. Ishi fell to his knees as the voice hit home. He pulled at his mask and muttered and prayed that it wasn't true, that it was a trick. Leo had backed up to the wall, where now he slumped and cowered in fear behind his shield. Tariks stared in confusion, until he caught a single sentence from Ishi's mouth.

"Oryx has been reborn."

 _Author's note: Enjoying so far? I'm not done yet! I've got plenty of tricks to show, and this story is far from over. Give it a like and tell your friends to spread the word of the Perfected Wrath!_


	7. Chapter 7

Ishi's body shook with fear as he stared up at Oryx. His body had been healed of all wounds, and in his hands was the dreadful Willbreaker, somehow reforged. He was shrouded in an aura of red mist and black smoke, no doubt the results of the SIVA and Taken power inside of him. Oryx looked down at Ishi and Leo with the same look of apathy given to an insect that has just been crushed.

"To think I would have to do nothing more than speak to break you down. You disappoint me, pebble." Oryx spoke calmly as he glided down from his pedestal and landed in front of Ishi. He put his blade at Ishi's chin, lifting it so their eyes met.

"You are NOTHING compared to me. You are not worthy to face me. You are but a speck, a blight, too minuscule to even erase. You sicken me with your mere presence. Begone!" He moved his blade from Ishi, then back handed him. Ishi flew into the wall, where he crumbled to the ground, unconscious. Tariks watched in silence as Oryx turned his attention to him.

"Ah, Eliksni," Oryx began, "What ever happened to your people? You were such strong, capable warriors. And then you let the accursed Light make you weak. You thought yourselves to be immortal to time and to defeat. Now look at you; forced to ally yourself with these...monstrosities! Insects!" He jammed his sword into the ground in anger, his yellowed teeth barred as he spoke.

"They do not even fight when they see a threat. They cry, and they beg, pleading that their precious Light will protect them," he walked to Tariks, who remained silent and unmoving, even as Oryx towered above him, his presence almost literally pressing him to his knees.

"But it will never come. Because their Light is a lie."

He pointed to Ishi's unconscious body.

"That pebble will never become the stone it believes it will be."

He pointed to the whimpering Leo in the corner.

"And that coward will never step foot in my arena. But." he smiled down at Tariks. Tariks looked up at him, no fear in his eyes.

"But you, Eliksni, have a fire. To Take you would be a waste. I want you to join me. Stand by my side as we take what is rightfully-"

"You disgust me, bug."

Oryx's wings unfurled to their full, intimidating length, and his aura increased until it touched and tainted the walls of his throne room.

"What blasphemy did you utter from your mouth, Pirate?" He growled at Tariks. Tariks lifted all four of his hands, each giving the single fingered salute, and repeated himself slowly with a smile.

"You. Disgust me. Bug.

Is that clear enough for you, peasant?" Tariks turned his back and went to Ishi, kicking him in the stomach in a not too gentle way.

"Get up, Hunter. He is nothing but empty air. You've killed him once, yes?" Ishi struggled to get up. Tariks assisted him by kicking him again. He gasped but he rose quicker. He looked at Tariks now, and saw his eyes were devoid of fear. He believed he could kill Oryx. Him, this Lightless Vandal. He looked at Leo, and whistled. Leo looked up from his shield.

"Aren't you supposed to be a gladiator? When have gladiators shown fear?" Leo straightened and nodded his head, rising with his confidence, his shield and his axe raised. He walked to Ishi's side, and stared hard at the king. Oryx scoffed.

"You believe that your words are enough to beat me? Ignorant fools. You are not worthy enough to face me," He casually swung his sword through the air, sending out a wave of energy that knocked them all to the wall, dazing them. "You are but a fragile Thrall attempting to overthrow god." Ishi rose and attempted to summon his Golden Gun, but nothing happened. No energy flowed through him. It was just like Ghaul all over again.

"Your Light is useless against me. You are nothing but a dying, dull spark. You are not worthy to face me." Oryx said as he turned his back.

"So you shall fight my minions instead." As he spoke, black and red blights began forming all around the throne room.

"Should you live, little pebble and coward, leave this place. When you have proven yourselves to be of worth, then, and only then, will I allow you a chance to challenge me." With that, he vanished, and hordes of twisted Taken Thrall and Knights appeared, the red SIVA mist surrounding them all, as well as Taken Devil Splicers. The Knights roared and raised their guns and swords, and suddenly their auras erupted. The SIVA nodes and clusters on their backs opened and released a swarm of SIVA mites that enveloped the Thrall and Splicers, whose own auras began to increase as well. The Splicers threw something akin to miniature SIVA nodes at the walls and floor, where they suddenly bloomed into fully formed SIVA clusters, the Taken energy flowing from within them, increasing their auras even more.

"So this is what Ghost was talking about. They've begun supporting each other. Great." Ishi grumbled as he stumbled to his feet and pulled out his handcannon as Leo rose slowly and banged his axe and shield together. Tariks readied his blade and Shock Pistol and looked at Ishi.

"Do you believe we can kill them before they kill us?" He asked.

Ishi shrugged.

"Best case scenario? They die.

Worst case? We die.

Most likely case? They die."

Tariks laughed wildly.

"Now THAT is the bravado I like, Hunter!" He turned his laughter and sinister grin to the enemy, who had begun their charge.

"Tariks, do you by any chance know who Variks is?" Ishi asked.

"Yes, I have watched the Prison Of Elders. Very energetic, yes?"

"Can you do an imitation?"

Tariks smiled and cleared his throat, doing his best rendition of the famous Fallen's voice.

"Kill them dead, Guardian."


	8. Chapter 8

After thirty minutes of fighting, it became abundantly clear that Oryx was right. They weren't anywhere near the strength needed to kill him. Just a handful of Thrall were almost all it took to end the trio. They steadily fell back to the door as Ishi and Leo's Ghosts worked in tandem to open the doors and get them to safety.

"Tariks, how are you holding up?" Ishi asked as he kicked a Knight away from him, firing a shot at its head as it fell back.

Tariks responded by viciously ripping into a Splicer's neck with his Shock Pistol, using it as a makeshift knife. Tariks looked up from the Splicer and gave three thumbs up as his other hand ripped his gun out of the Splicer.

"So you're good. No ammo, but good." Ishi turned to Leo.

"What about you, buddy, are you-"

"Et sanguis in amphitheatro Flaviano vocat!" Leo screamed as he caved in a Splicer skull with his shield and split a Thrall in half with his axe.

"...Ghost, translation please?"

"He said something about the colosseum wants blood or something!" Ghost said without turning. Leo's Ghost sighed and turned.

"The idiot said 'The Colosseum calls for blood'. Ignore him please." The Ghost turned back to working on the door.

"So we're still alive. Good, lets just hope nothing bad happens." Ishi sighed in relief and threw his knife into a Knight.

"Ishi! Something bad is happening!" His Ghost shouted.

"Oh COME ON!"

"We opened the door!"

Ishi turned in anger and confusion.

"Explain to me how that's...oh goddamnit." The door was open, but a squad of Taken Splicer Captains stood in front of them, blocking their exits. Behind them was a small group of Vandals, all twitching and oozing with the Taken/SIVA power.

"So it's a rock and a hard place? Any ideas, fellas?" Ishi looked around at Leo and Tariks, and they both just shrugged.

"Kill them?" Tariks suggested.

"I agree with the Pirate." Leo said, finally returning to English.

"You two are literally no help." He turned to his Ghost. "Ghost, please have a plan." The Ghost seemed to shrug.

"I actually thought that shooting them was a pretty solid idea."

Ishi groaned and checked his ammo. One cylinder left. Dammit.

"I swear I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Actually, Ishi, you're surrounded by Taken/SIVA hybrid Captains hellbent on-"

"Ghost, I will shoot you if you don't shut your...face...mouth...DAMMIT LETS JUST FRIGGIN SHOOT THEM!" He roared and charged into the Captains with his sword drawn, Tariks and Leo following close behind him. As they met the first Captains, Ishi and Leo's Ghosts started broadcasting a transmission.

"Guardians! How's it goin! Did you shoot it yet?" Cayde asked calmly.

"Do you EVER call for anything other than to annoy us?"

Ishi asked as he crossed blades with a Captain.

"You call it annoying. I call it 'gracing you with my voice'. You haven't answered my question though. Did you kill it yet? Zavala is getting angsty and for some reason Eris keeps saying something about Oryx reclaiming his throne."

"That's because it's true! Can she do one of her magic tricks and get us out of here?!" Ishi dodged a swipe and threw his sword into a Captain's chest, following the throw with a shot from his gun. He rolled past another Captain and yanked his sword from the chest of the Captain.

"Wait, it's true? How? He should still be floating around Saturn like a decaying moon. A really big, ugly, decaying moon."

"The Hive are not bound to the laws of death. They live and die as we do." Eris Morn said in the background of the transmission. Faint chanting could be heard as she spoke, and Ishi recognized it as the same spell that pulled him out of Crota's tomb when Cayde's stealth codes failed him...again.

He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Leo! Tariks! Just hold on, we're getting out of here real soon!" Tariks nodded as he ripped the throats of a Thrall and used its body as a shield to protect him from the Captain's shrapnel launcher. Leo howled in excitement and continued his brawl with a trio of Thrall.

"Guardian, I sense a presence that is not of the Light with you. It seems Fallen, but I feel no malice from it." Eris Morn said as the chant became louder and louder.

"It's a friendly! Hurry up please! We ran out of bullets a long time ago and we can't use our Light here!" Ishi rolled under another Captain's sword again, but was met with its foot, sending him flying into a wall.

"I can only bring those the Traveler has blessed. Even if I could bring others, I would never bring an enemy of the Light to our home."

Ishi groaned in anger and rose to his feet.

"Are you kidding me? Fine! Screw you then. We'll make it out on our own."

"Guardian, this is a direct order. Leave the Fallen there and let Eris pull you out." Zavala said as he turned on his coms. Ishi growled in frustration as he looked back to Tariks, covered in Taken and SIVA mist from the enemies he'd slain. There would be no way he would leave him.

"Leo, let Eris pull you out. Me and Tariks will figure out another way."

Leo held two Captains at bay with his shield and looked back at Ishi. Even through the mask, it was clear that he was struggling with the decision. Suddenly, he roared.

"To hell with your orders!" The words shocked Ishi. Leo had never been one to go against Zavala's direct orders.

"He fought with us! That makes him as much of a Guardian as you or me! We will fight our way out like warriors, or die together like brothers!" Ishi and Tariks roared in agreement, and with it came a renewed vigor. They pressed forward and began pushing the Captains back, and eventually put the last one down. While they fought, Zavala threatened them.

"Guardian this is your last chance. Either leave the Fallen, or we leave you." Zavala threatened.

"Actually, no. YOU can leave them," Cayde interjected. "I won't leave any Hunter of mine to die if he stays behind for his team. You out of all people should know how a team works, Zavala."

"Are you standing up for these two disobedient Guardians, Cayde? Do you have any idea what your doing? They are harboring an enemy and you're...what do you think you're doing, Cayde?!" Zavala was losing his voice and he was losing it fast.

"I'm leaving. Any complaints? No? Fantastic, now excuse me while I go do my job. You know, saving people? It looks like sitting on your ass made you forget that part of the job." Cayde's coms went off, but Zavala was still shouting, and Cayde could still be heard through his Ghost.

"Cayde, if you step out this room you will be kicked from the Vanguard!"

"You know, you should really work on your threats. I'll make it easy for you. I quit."


	9. Chapter 9

Zavala's voice went quiet as Cayde demanded that Eris send him in to the Dreadnought. Ishi and the others panted and sat on the ground as they listened.

"This...Cayde person. He is trustworthy, yes?" Tariks asked.

"He's an incredible cheat, and a jackass. But yeah. You could trust him. And if he gives you any praise, accept it. He's...not biased." Ishi replied. Leo nodded in agreement.

"Also, don't ever rush him. Ever." Leo added. Ishi and him both shuddered at a shared memory involving a Golden Gun and a very very bad headache.

"So, bad news fellas," Cayde said in a depressed tone.

"Eris is being, well, Eris, and she won't send me in. However, she did agree to help you. All three of you."

Ishi and the others cheered.

"Head back out the way you came in. There should be a very sizable gap that separate the throne room side from the breach side. There's a short cut that Eris is gonna make for you to get back to the breach and call in your ships."

"Got it. Where will it be at?" Ishi asked.

"You'll know it when you see it. It's huge."

"Uhm, that doesn't help, but thanks?" Ishi got up, followed by the others, and started walking forward to the gap.

"So are you really out of the Vanguard?" Leo asked.

"Yeaup."

"That seems a bit much, doesn't it? I mean, you could have just stayed there and we could have found the way out." Ishi said.

"Yeah, but who said I wanted to stay anyway? Even my Ghost was going insane."

"Fair enough." Ishi replied as they got to the gap.

"We're here Cayde. What now? I don't see anything."

Cayde huffed and said a few hushed words to Eris. He came back moments later.

"Okay, Guardian, this is gonna sound crazy. But she wants you to jump."

The trio was silent. Then Leo jumped off the edge.

"OH MY GOD, DID HE ACTUALLY JUMP?! THAT'S AMAZING!" Cayde howled with laughter as Tariks' scowled at the gap, then to Ishi, who sighed and lowered his shoulders in disappointment.

"I lied, Tariks." Ishi said.

"You can't trust Cayde. Ever."

Leo's Ghost rose from the gap after a few minutes, and practically spit Leo back onto the floor.

"You are a complete and utter imbecile." His Ghost groaned.

Leo simply roared and screamed "AGAIN!" Ishi shook his head.

"For real this time, Cayde. Shortcut?" Ishi asked.

"Cross those invisible platforms that you crossed the first time, then turn left, and sprint. Eris can place a few extra walking platforms that will take you across the gap to the side where the breach is at. From there, you should be able to hitch a ride on your ships and head home." Ishi crossed the platforms and turned left, and was relieved to see that there were more platforms that would take them all to where they first entered the ship. The breach was just a short walk away.

"Alright fellas!" Ishi shouted. "Move quick, and don't slip. It's a long way down!" Ishi looked at Leo.

"You know that for a fact, don't ya buddy?" Leo flicked him off and moved passed him to cross the platforms.

"Ishi, you seem to be taking this quite well." Cayde said.

"I mean, this is Oryx we're talking about. Weren't you afraid of him?"

"Eh, I got over it. Got my fear kicked out of me. Literally."

Ishi looked at Tariks behind him, who just shrugged and continued moving.

"I'm not apologizing." He said bluntly.

"Well, I did what I had to do," Cayde said. "Now I gotta grab my gear and head out. This place is crap. I'll see you at home, Guardians!" Cayde clicked off, and left the three to make their way to the breach.

"Ishi, tell me, why do your legs still shake?" Tariks questioned. Ishi stopped suddenly and looked at himself. He was trembling as if he went into the mountains near the Plaguelands without any gear.

"Are you afraid still, Ishi?" He questioned again.

"Of course I am. Oryx made our lives hell. We spent a month fighting. We saw things we wish we could unsee. When we were torn between his dimension and ours...there are things there that make you question everything you ever heard or seen." Ishi shook his head to shake away the memories. "Come on, we should catch up to Leo and get the hell out of here." Tariks nodded and they moved forward in silence. They made it across safely, and after another few minutes of silent walking, they found themselves back at the breach. Ishi stretched as they reached the beacon that would let them call in their ships.

"Any idea on what to do now?" Ishi asked. Leo thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I'm gonna pay the muscle head a visit. You," he pointed to Ishi as their ships flew in. "You are going to hunt the Hunter." With that, he turned away, and they boarded their ships quickly. The sooner they got away from The Dreadnought, the better. As Ishi and Tariks sat down and their ship began its journey back to earth, Ghost materialized.

"Tariks, are there any more Fallen that feel like you do?" He asked.

"Feel like what?"

"Share your views of Guardians."

Tariks leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment.

"Of course there is, as is those that view Fallen and Hive and Cabal as friendly. We are not as rare a find as you think, Ghost."

Ishi turned to his Ghost.

"What makes you so interested in other Guardian sympathizers?" He asked.

Ghost looked at Tariks hard.

"I'm thinking maybe we can show the Vanguard that not every enemy is an enemy. Cayde told us all about the Captain that fought alongside him, and we've all seen Shiro's cloak and how he holds the Fallen in such high regard. Hunters that spend their time beyond the walls know that the only enemy is the one that shoots first." Ishi and Tariks both nodded.

"That would be fun. Showing up Zavala and Eris like that." Ishi said.

"Yes yes, proving my worth would be fun." Tariks agreed.

"Then it's settled," Ghost seemed to whirr in excitement.

"Ishi, you track down Orvar and get him back on the fire team, and Tariks can go hunting for other Guardian lovers." Ghost dematerialized and left Tariks and Ishi alone to their thoughts.

The last time Ishi had seen Orvar was after Oryx had died the first time. He had said he was going to go off and hunt some wild animals and annoy his wife. Ishi knew that he moved around a lot but came back home the last week of every month.

And as it turned out, it so happened to be the last week of August, meaning the Hunter was going to come home.

Ishi felt himself get excited.

He was going to enjoy hunting the Hunter again.


	10. Chapter 10

Ishi's ship flew back into view of the Oasis, where he looked up from the dashboard to see his son throwing knives at some of the target dummies he had set up in the field. He watched with a father's appreciation as Xhaiden threw knife after knife into the dummies, all landing in their heads with relative ease. Ishi was impressed. Xhaiden had even begun starting to roll and dodge while he threw them, and was still hitting his mark.

"The kid is better than I am, and I throw things at people all the time." Ishi said as the ship landed in the field. Tariks looked at Xhaiden and nodded.

"Yes yes, he does seem to have a knack for throwing knives." Tariks said. They both rose and walked off the ship, where Aleks waited for them, her face failing in an attempt to hide a smile.

"You took way too long, lovey. Was it really that bad out there, or did you just get stomped again?" Aleks asked. Ishi rubbed his still masked head and walked forward into the house, pulling Aleks along with him. "I'll explain inside. I don't want Xhaiden to hear this." She tried to protest but she was powerless and soon they both disappeared from sight, leaving only Tariks and Xhaiden, who had finished throwing knives.

"Mister Tariks sir, did you go to the Dreadnought with dad to fight something scary?" He asked as he fiddled with the knife holsters.

"Yes yes, we did, although we didn't exactly fight...wait how did you know that, little one?" Tariks looked down at Xhaiden, who had finally fixed his holster and looked rather pleased with himself.

"I figured it out through...uhm... I don't know the word in the human tongue..." He shrugged and spoke again, this time in Eliksni. "Through the art of deduction." Tariks smiled and tussled his hair.

"The human form is 'deduction'." He said. Xhaiden tried the word out himself until it came easily to him.

He beamed brightly up at Tariks.

"Thank you, Mister Tariks sir. I'm sure dad would love to see that I learned a new human word!" Tariks chuckled softly and nodded while waving his hand in front of him.

"I'm sure he would enjoy it. Oh, and please, just call me Tariks. It is easier to say, yes?" Xhaiden shook his head.

"I'm supposed to call adults things like 'Mister' and 'Miss'. It's polite, since you're older and more experienced than me."

Tariks nodded in approval.

"Did Ishi tell you that? Or Aleks?"

Xhaiden shook his head again.

"Mom told me."

Tariks was about to speak again when he realized which mother he meant. He let out a breath and smiled lightly. That sounded like something Masik would have done. Always respectful, right up until the end.

"She was good, yes?"

Xhaiden nodded.

"Very good." They stood for a moment in silence, which was broken by something crashing inside the house, followed by angry screams.

"You're going WHERE and for HOW LONG?! Do you expect me to raise him ALONE?? He needs a father, Ishi!!" Aleks shouted. A much calmer mumble came after, and the two strained to hear the words.

"Actually, I was planning on taking...him...with me...? Like one of those Pre-Golden Age family flicks. It'll be fun."

"Like HELL it will be! So you want to leave me here alone? HELL NO! I'm coming with you and that's the end of the discussion."

There was a shuffle of feet approaching the door.

"Aleks, sweetie, I can't just take you with me..."

"You can, you will, and you aren't saying a word about it." Ishi's sigh could be heard loud and clear as Aleks opened up their bedroom door and strode outside, where Tariks and Xhaiden tried their best to look like they weren't ease dropping.

"Boys, you're both awful liars." She said as she walked past them and into the ship. She looked around for a moment, seemed to be reluctantly satisfied, and came back down.

"At least you're smart enough to have brought something to keep everyone happy and filled. Nice choice on those chips by the way." She shouted as Ishi walked out of the house with two bags full of clothing. He gave a grunt of appreciation and turned to Tariks and Xhaiden.

"You both are awful liars. Xhaiden, you're coming on a trip with me...as is your mother, despite my warnings, to visit an old friend. You two will be staying with them for a while while I go with my teammate to find some other friends of ours. Tariks will be in and out, probably with a lot of other people, to make a quick check on you before he comes back here. If it's okay with him, he'll bring you with him on his return trips and let you grab some things. I might not be back for a few months. You okay with that?" Xhaiden had already turned and bolted onto the ship, repeatedly shouting "Roadtrip!!" Ishi sighed.

"I'm pretty sure he only heard half of what I said." He mumbled. Tariks patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"If it helps, Ishi, I stopped listening too."

"You are such an ass, you know that?" Ishi said as he glared at Tariks. He let go of Ishi's shoulder and walked past him toward the back of the house.

"Yes yes, I know. Oh. And Ishi? A word? In private, yes?" Ishi cocked his head to the side in confusion, but nodded and followed Tariks behind his house. As soon as Ishi rounded the corner, Tariks wheeled on him, his eyes showing concern and purpose.

"Why didn't you tell them about Oryx? They are at risk of losing their loved one. Their father. They deserve to know, yes?" Tariks said. Ishi turned his head away, but Tariks quickly reached up to his chin, yanking it back and looking straight through the mask and into Ishi's eyes.

"Do you even have a plan, Ishi? A way to get stronger? Do you even have any idea about what step you will take next?"

Ishi struggled, but Tariks held him firm, his claws holding his head firmly in place. With a dissatisfied growl, he pushed Ishi's head away, turning away in disgust.

"He is right. You are nothing but a pebble attempting to shatter a mountain."

"I have an idea." Ishi mumbled.

Tariks looked back at him. "Oh? You finally find your stones? What is this plan of yours?"

"I haven't worked out the specifics yet, but I think I know how to get stronger. How to make everyone stronger. It's risky, and it may not even be a real plan, but it's all I got."

"Well? Out with it." Tariks demanded.

Ishi sighed and shuffled his feet for a moment.

"There was this guy, a really long time ago, who had done something to his Light. Tainted it. Corrupted it. He was one of the most powerful and feared Guardians ever. Because of him, two things came.

The first is the Golden Gun," he reached his hand up, and with a flick of his wrist, a handcannon surrounded by Solar Light appeared in his hand. It crackled and burned as the fire danced around the barrel like solar flares on the sun.

"It looks like this because of the person who first used it held a certain gun when he first manifested solar energy into a usable force. The gun he used, The Last Word, became the template for all Golden Guns. Because everyone wanted to be him."

"I know of the Golden Gun. You speak of battle between Shin Malphur and Dredgen Yor. I know this fight well, but...what is the second thing that came?" Tariks inquired.

"The second were followers of the first person to taint their Light. They perfected it, and found ways to bend and twist their Light that were unheard of. They call themselves the Shadows of Yor.

They used to show up in the Crucible, but they disappeared and went into hiding. Sadly, I don't have a single clue as to where the hell they went..."

Tariks groaned.

"Then what's the point in-"

"But I do know a certain Hunter who specializes in maps that said he may or may not know where they are." Ishi looked at Tariks as he watched his friend slowly realize what he meant.

"You mean to gain their whereabouts from Cayde? Do you even know where he's at?" Tariks asked.

"He said he'd see me at home. To him, 'home' is a bar in the City that caters to Hunters almost exclusively. And knowing Cayde, he probably stole enough glimmer from Zavala as a 'parting gift' to stay for a few weeks and order a drink that he's never going to drink."

Tariks was about to question him more when they heard Aleks shout at them from the ship. She sounded very VERY ticked.

"I'll explain more once we drop these two off at Orvar's place. Let's get going." Ishi and Tariks both walked out from behind the house and made their way to the ship, preparing their minds for the challenges to come.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: Hey everyone! Sorry this next one took so long! Had a bit of a tough time in my personal life but we are good to go! I hope you guys like a good ol fashioned game of tag!_

The trip was a short one, thankfully. Ishi's ship wasn't made for more than two people, and with four of them packed in to it, he was starting to get claustrophobic. The moment they caught sight of Orvar's house, Ishi was already reaching for his gear.

"Ghost, can you transmat me down to the ground? We're close enough now for it and I'm not trying to say hi to Ianthe." He said. Ghost appeared a moment later.

"I could drop you off here. I've dropped you off in more stressful situations." Ghost replied.

"Great, let me-"

"But at the same time, I finally get to show you how it feels to be packed in a backpack all day. So...no." Ghost winked out and left Ishi glaring behind his mask. Of all the Ghosts, Ishi's was an odd one, straight from the start. He woke Ishi up that day with something akin to a slap. Apparently, he had died his first death on some sort of cliff, and when he was woken up, the sudden jolt of life took him over the edge. The first thing he heard was Ghost laughing and saying something about reviving him after he took a nap. Then he connected with the ground and everything went black again. It was the first time Ghost had gotten him killed and Ishi knew for a fact that it wouldn't be the last.

Finally, Ghost began landing the ship in the small field that served as Orvar's landing zone. The woods around them were full and vibrant, and Ishi could see the trails in the trees that Orvar made during his time hunting through the front of his ship. After having a short argument with Ghost about how it wasn't funny to keep a Hunter in that tight of a space for that long, and being outvoted by the rest of them all agreeing that yes, it is in fact funny to keep a Hunter cooped up, he walked off the ship in a hurry. His foot barely left his ship when the sound of a rifle boomed, and a bullet left its imprint next to his foot. He stilled and looked from where the gun was shot. On top of the little two story house, a woman was in a crouched firing position wearing a pair of dirtied blue jeans and a stark black tank top and looking through the scope of her rifle. Ishi slowly put his hands up to his head to remove his cloak and mask. His purple eyes shined brightly, even in the daylight, and his purple frame was impossible to misplace. The woman lowered her rifle and smiled. Even from one hundred yards away her smile was still bright and infectious.

"Oh hey, it's a pleb!" The woman shouted. Putting her rifle down and waving happily, as if she didn't just shoot at a Ishi as if he were some stranger trespassing on her yard.

"Hey there, Ianthe. How are you?" He shouted back. Xhaiden came up behind Ishi's leg and peeked past it. He squinted until he saw Ianthe, then waved at her.

"Please don't shoot us! I promise we come in peace!" He shouted. Ishi looked down at him.

"More Pre-Golden Age alien movies?" He asked.

Xhaiden gave him that smile that all children somehow are just naturally able to give. That smile that says "I'm great and you know it, so take THAT!"

"Yes, and I have no regrets, dad."

Ishi shook his head and gestured for Aleks. She walked hesitantly to the opening of the ship and waved cautiously.

"Oh, the little Pleb and Mrs. Pleb are here too! Finally, I'll have some company. If your looking for your lover, he's off stalking the woods in the south. Take the paths on top and you should catch up to him. He just left so he couldn't have gotten far." She shouted as she hopped down to the ground and jogged over to the ship. Tariks came to the opening a moment later, causing Ianthe to halt and stare curiously.

"He's a friendly. Who beat me."

Ishi said. "Barely. You keep forgetting that part, Ishi." Tariks chimed in.

"Probably because it didn't feel like it. You looked like it was easy."

Tariks shrugged.

"Just throwing you was easy. You were mad. I took advantage." Ishi grumbled and turned back to Ianthe, who had begun her jog again, although slower now. She reached the ship after a minute and inspected Tariks closely. She walked around him, checking him, then began to question him in Eliksni.

"No colors, Vandal? Outcast? Why?" She asked. Tariks rubbed his head.

"Heart was far too big. Refused to kill people." He looked at Ishi.

"Refused to kill Guardians."

Ianthe nodded and stood still for a moment, then wrapped Tariks in a tight embrace.

"Good job on finding another pleb, Ishi!" She said happily. Tariks hugged back awkwardly, trying to maneuver his four arms around her thin frame.

"Have you found anything to say other than 'pleb'?" Ishi asked.

"Oh, of course. But why would I call you something you're not?"

Ishi grumbled again and turned.

"You said south right? I'll be back once I find Orvar. Take care of those three please. We have something to talk about once we all get back." Ianthe nodded and waved him off, and with that, Ishi took off, breaking into a sprint as he entered the woods. As he ran, he looked around him for an easy way to access the platforms above him. Ishi still couldn't grasp how far the platforms went. Orvar must have kept himself busy these past few years.

"Ishi, all these branches are low enough to grab with one of your double jumps. Why haven't you grabbed one yet? If you did, I'd be able to scan for him once we got to higher ground." Ghost asked. Ishi shook his head and slowed to a jog.

"Goes against our rules. He would never count it as a win if I used my abilities to catch him, and he won't come back with us if I don't win." Ghost sighed. "Is now really time for your game? I hope you know he's more likely to beat you. He's got you thirty-six to thirty-two." Ishi groaned. Ghost loved to remind him of his losses to Orvar. Ishi caught sight of a branch low enough to grab without double jump and sighed in relief.

"Finally. Thought that for a second there I'd be running through this place for another hour." He reached for the branch, then stopped suddenly. He pulled his hand back and walked past it.

"Nice try, but it ain't gonna work this time, Orvar!" He shouted. "Your damn dead tree trap ain't gonna work twice!" A laugh echoed through the forest in response. "Looks like you learned something there, Ishi!" The voice called. "Could today be your lucky day?" Ishi found a tree that was suitable for climbing and quickly scampered up, balancing on a higher branch. "It had better be! This one is for real!" He shouted to the forest.

An arrow flew toward Ishi suddenly, but he had already moved to the next branch. "You serious? You actually want something from me this time? Oh now I REALLY can't lose to you." A volley of arrows flew at Ishi from his left side, which was unprotected. However, instead of dodging to another branch, he dove toward the volley, accepting the arrows. They broke easily against him, the strongest ones barely noticeable as they shattered against him. "Well shit! You have gotten good!" The voice said in amusement. Another volley came, and again, Ishi accepted them into his body as he continued toward. As he suspected, he found not Orvar, but the makeshift contraption Orvar used to trick his prey into thinking they were outnumbered. It was akin to a shotgun if it had sniper range and accuracy. Ishi saw the string used to pull the trigger and launch the arrows, and followed it until he reached a behemoth of a tree, its height and girth unmatched by any other tree. "You're getting close, Ishi! You finally gonna tag me?" The voice said.

"The hell you mean, 'finally'? I'm only down by four!" Ishi shouted in response. He drew his sword slowly, the blade hissing out of the scabbard like a snake preparing to strike. "And it's about to be three."

"We'll see about that." The voice said directly behind Ishi, the breath of his words hitting Ishi directly. Ishi spun with an elbow, but met empty air. He grunted and began scanning the area around him for any movement. It was a fairly open piece of forest, the behemoth tree standing in the center like a king surrounded by his subjects.

"Orvar, you prick, get out here and fight me dammit!" Ishi shouted. Keeping himself positioned by the tree to avoid a surprise attack from behind.

"But, Ishi," The voice, Orvar said.

"I don't wanna." Ishi grunted again. "Fine. I'll pull you out then!" Ishi lunged forward with his free hand, finding purchase on what seemed to be empty air. A gasp rang out from where Ishi grabbed and the cloaking dissipated, leaving Orvar completely exposed. Ishi didn't hesitate to follow up the grab with his blade, plunging it toward Orvar's stomach. Orvar twisted away, the blade scraping his side barely, and brought an armored fist into Ishi's face. Ishi accepted the blow, facing it head on as he pursued Orvar and delivered his own vicious hammer strike with the hilt of his blade. Orvar's helmet absorbed the blow, but still left him dazed enough to render his next attempt of escape useless as Ishi drove the sword into Orvar's shoulder and pinned him to the forest floor. Orvar gasped and panted softly, a low chuckle escaping his mouth from the pain. His helmet retracted and revealed his Awoken features, his green eyes like that of the forest, his pale skin dirty from his time out in the wilds. He smiled up at Ishi and closed his eyes. Ishi pulled out his gun and placed it on his head execution style.

"Guess you did get me after all." Orvar said in acknowledgment of his defeat. "You're still a pleb. So what do you want?" Ishi pulled the hammer back on his handcannon.

"Help me find the Shadows of Yor."

Orvar's eyes shot open in disbelief.

"You're kidding. Why do we need them? Aren't they a myth?" He asked.

"Their as real as me and you, and they have secrets. Secrets we can learn and kill Oryx with."

Orvar's face blanched.

"But...he's dead..."

"Yeah...he was."

They were silent for a moment, then Ishi fired his gun, completing their game of tag. Orvar's Ghost appeared a moment later, congratulating Ishi.

"I told him to change his traps up and that they wouldn't work this time." It said as it began resurrecting Orvar. It sighed "I am glad to see you're still alive and fighting after all this time, Ishi." Ishi's Ghost appeared and stared down Orvar's.

"Good to see you too, Little Pebble." It added.

"Switch off, Arrowhead." Ishi's Ghost replied. Orvar rose after a minute of waiting, his bullet wound healed, but his face still held that look of incredulity.

"Is it true? Is he back?" Ishi nodded. Orvar took a breathe.

"When do we leave." Orvar asked bluntly.

"Tonight. Leo already went to get Jordan. Go say goodbye, grab your gear, and meet me at my ship at ten o'clock." Ishi turned and began walking back to where his ship was.

"Other way, Ishi." Orvar said.

"Shut up, Orvar."

"Are we getting the other two?" Orvar asked. Ishi nodded. The other two. Their Fireteam's Warlocks, and their gunsmith. They went off to study guns and practice their "space magic" in the Tower after Oryx, and after Ghaul, they returned to the old Tower to continue their magic training. Convincing them would be simple enough. It was getting there that was the problem.

"We are gonna get them. But, ah, we should talk about somethings that happened first." Ishi said.

"Cayde?" Orvar guessed.

"Cayde."

"What did he do?"

Ishi grunted and rubbed his head. "He may or may not have quit the Vanguard...?"

"...what?"

"We also might be enemies of the Tower right now...?"

Orvar sighed. "You know, you two are nothing but trouble."

Ishi just shrugged.

"Someone has to be. Might as well be us."

 _Author's note: Next, we take a break from our Hunter and follow Leo as he finds our smashing Titan Jordan. This next chapter should hopefully be a knockout!_


	12. Chapter 12

"For the last time, Leo, its not gonna happen." Jordan Freeman said as he continued his workout. His gym was empty, save for a few stragglers that were only now beginning to exit and head home.

"Jordan, look, I know we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things-"

"On nothing." Jordan corrected. Leo sighed heavily.

"Look, it's not for me. I couldn't care less if you came. I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing it for Ishi."

Leo stared hard into Jordan's eyes. They never got along very well, mostly due to Leo's aggravation with Striker Titans. Jordan had no problem with Sentinels, and had even used it a few times himself, but even when he did, his Striker mentality always showed itself in the end. The two dark skinned men stared at each other for a moment longer before Jordan sighed.

"I'm not doing this for you or Ishi. I just got nothing better to do right now. But I have a gym to run and can't stay gone long, so I better not be." Jordan got up from his bench and wiped the sweat off his head.

"It's only a few months...we think." Leo rubbed his own head. Jordan looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Are you an idiot? You think I'm just gonna walk outta here like that? Bitch, please." He sat back on the bench and returned to his work out. Leo sighed. He figured it would end like this. Luckily, he planned ahead. He turned his head to the boxing ring in the center of the gym. Jordan rose and followed his look, then frowned.

"Don't you use shields and shit? Yeah, no. I would stomp your ass. Like last time." Jordan grinned. A Strikers greatest weapon was his fists, and Jordan was unmatched in the ring, save for Ishi and his acrobatics. Leo smiled in return and stood up to enter the ring.

"Fool. You haven't fought me in years. You're about to learn what happens when you don't work out those puny little burnt noodles you call arms on the battlefield. Grab the gloves, wuss." Leo stepped into the ring and grabbed a pair of gloves on one of the turnbuckles. Jordan laughed.

"Alright. Fine. I'll beat your ass down. And if I win, you can go back to Ishi and let him know he's gotta find another Titan to do...what exactly?"

Leo punched his hands together.

"I'll tell you after I beat your face in, Mr. Fist of Panic." Jordan smiled to hide his agitation, strapped on his own gloves, and slipped into the ring. They knocked gloves, and not a moment after their gloves connected, and the match officially began Leo had already thrown a wild right hook into Jordan's jaw. Jordan took the blow, keeping his feet and brining his hands to block the midsection blow from Leo. Jordan gave Leo a small blow to his chest, not enough power to hurt him, but enough to push him away, and darted after him with a flurry of punches. Leo dodged most of them, and blocked the rest, delivering small jabs whenever he found an opening. Even though he was on the defensive, Jordan was the one who backed away from the exchange panting and bruised.

"Is that all? Come!" Leo shouted and beat his chest.

"Let me see that Striker fist."

Jordan smiled and wiped his face.

"Okay. Okay. Oooookay," he stood up straight, rotating his arm and cracking his neck. "You've gotten pretty good. I'll give that to you." His smile turned into a sinister glare. "But now I'm gonna pull out the big guns." Jordan roared and threw a fist faster than his previous punches, Arc energy flowing through his arm and disintegrating his glove. It caught Leo on the bridge of his nose, and Leo felt it clearly break. His head rocked back, and he stepped back in pain and disorientation. Jordan followed it with a two hit combo into Leo's ribs, and then an uppercut that sent him up into the air. He fell on his back with a solid thud. Jordan stood above him, lightly hopping from side to side as Arc Light danced around his body.

"You done already, Leo? What was all that talk from earlier? Did I beat the spine out of you?" Jordan laughed. Leo rose, shaking his head and wiping the blood from his nose and mouth.

"You hit like a bitch." Leo suddenly flared with Void, and dashed in with a solid jab. Jordan tried to evade, but Leo moved too quick, and fist met solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. Leo went into a flurry, his gloves dissipating with every blow as he gained momentum. His fist connected with Jordan's head, ribs, and face repeatedly, taking all of his momentum and pushing him to defense. Finally, Jordan managed to dodge a vicious Void covered haymaker, skipping back and settling in a Southpaw stance.

Leo growled in anger. "Te accipere clade, Stulte!" He charged and his Void flared even more. Jordan looked at him, panting and bleeding.

"What the hell...you know I can't understand your-" a fist came into Jordan's stomach, knocking any air he had left out of him, forcing him to his knees as he coughed up blood.

"It means 'Accept your defeat, fool.'" Another fist came, connecting with Jordan's head, knocking him unconscious.

A few hours passed before Jordan finally woke up again. "How's your head?" Leo asked.

"Fuck you. What does the robot want with little ol me?" Jordan asked as he iced his jaw.

"Didn't you hear from Zavala? The Taken have a king."

"No shit? Who?"

"Oryx."

Jordan sat silent for a moment. Then he laughed.

"Funny. Really funny. If you just want an excuse to-"

"I looked at him. With my own eyes. He's alive, he's stronger, and he's issued a challenge." Leo rubbed his knuckles. "And Ishi wants...NEEDS...the fireteam back. He's already going to get Orvar. After you, all that's left is the gunhead and the pyro." Jordan nodded his head. "Okay. Alright. I'll get my shit and talk to Zavala and tell him that-"

"Let's not do that." Leo interrupted.

Jordan looked at him confused.

"...did something happen?"

"You could say that."

Jordan thought for a moment.

"What did Cayde do?" Leo tuned his head and grimaced.

"So we wouldn't leave this Fallen behind and well...Zavala threatened us...and well...Cayde ended up leaving the Vanguard and we are probably all enemies of the Tower."

Jordan choked on air and looked at Leo.

"Oh y'all really fucked up didn't you?"

Leo shrugged. "Yeah...a little bit."

"A lot of bit. The other two are at the old Tower. How do you think we're gonna get in, grab them, and get out?" Jordan asked.

"That," Leo said. "Is why we have Hunters that like getting into trouble."

 _Author's Note: Who likes Warlocks who aren't dead and disturbed? I know I do!~ But, ah, maybe give ya a bit of that 'disturbed'...but in a totally good way! I promise!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: sorry again! I had some other stories to work on, plus some work on something big that you'll find out about soon. This is a lighthearted chapter, which will be followed by the intro of two new, strange characters. Enjoy!_

Ishi and Orvar made their way back to the home after they concluded their game and confirmed the deal.

"I still don't believe you," Orvar said as he rubbed his forehead where he was shot. "The Shadows of Yor? How do you expect to get to them, Or even let them teach you? Actually, how do you know they exist?" Ishi sighed and slowed his walk. "I remember a Crucible match against them. Overheard Zavala and Shaxx arguing about letting those 'disgraces of the Light' participate. Shaxx laughed in his face and told him that he was the Crucible, not Zavala, and just like the Red Death engrams and the MIDA, the Shadows were not going to be banned, and if the Shadows disgraced anyone, that they should take a page from their betters." Ishi shook his head. "They crushed us. Ignored our crests, like they always did. Never even used their Light. Not often anyway. Coulda swore one of them was glowing with Void. Literally glowing. Scared the crap out of me." Orvar smiled and shook his head. "How the hell did you remember all of that? What number are you now, 86? 87?"

"I'm on 99 and going strong." Ishi corrected. Orvar coughed and stared at him incredulously.

"Ishi."

"Yes?"

"How the hell do you remember how to exist at this point?" Ishi shrugged at the question.

"I dunno. I figured eventually you just forget how to forget?" Orvar frowned.

"That makes zero sense and you know it."

Ishi shrugged again as the house came into view.

"I figured I'd try to be poetic."

Orvar slapped him on his head.

"Don't ever try to be poetic ever again. That was awful." Ishi flicked him off and they continued the final few minutes to the house in silence. When they entered, the first thing they heard was a heated argument in Eliksni. Orvar looked at Ishi quizzically.

"Brought guests? Wife and kid?" He asked.

"Yeah, plus another. He's ah, he's a Fallen deserter. Kicked my ass-"

"BARELY, ISHI, BARELY!" Tariks called out amidst the arguing. Orvar snickered.

"Apparently he thinks differently."

"Shut up and go introduce yourself to them." Ishi stated bluntly. Orvar sighed, rolled his neck, put on his best smile, and together they walked into the living room of the house, where they found Tariks stuck between Ianthe and Aleks as they shouted frantically over one another, their words jumbled up too much for Ishi to understand them. Neither one of them seemed to have registered the two Hunter's that just walked in. "Tariks, what are they screaming about? And why in Eliksni?" Tariks pulled a hand from the side of his head and pointed at Ishi and Orvar.

"I will spare you the details and will only say that somehow Aleks makes a strong argument for her case." He looked hard at Ishi.

"Despite your...hinderances." Ishi cocked his head to the side in confusion, while Orvar stared blankly. The two women seemed to have finished their argument, Aleks seemingly contented with the outcome, and rose happily to greet her husband.

"Hey there, lovey! Enjoy your afternoon stroll?" She said as she kissed his metal cheek. Ishi stroked her head and hugged her. "I wouldn't call it a stroll, but yeah. It was fun...for me anyway."

"Oi, screw you, mate. I'm still up by three." Orvar retorted. "What the hell were you two arguing about anyway? And why in Fallen?" Aleks and Ianthe both smiled mischievously.

"Oh, it's nothing important." Ianthe said nonchalantly. "Just girl talk. But before you go, we should play pool first. I keep telling her you're great at pool but she says Ishi is better." Orvar blushed, his Awoken skin turning a bright pink. He looked at Ishi and coughed.

"How is he even...I mean he can't...how?" Ianthe shrugged while Aleks smiled happily at their confusion. Ishi looked at Aleks hard. "Sweetie, what did you two talk about?" Aleks waved off he question. "Wasn't there something you were supposed to talk to us about?" She asked. Ishi sighed and nodded his head. "You are so lucky this is important." He inhaled deeply before speaking again.

"Ianthe, Aleks, as you two already know, me and Orvar will be going out for a while. It's a business trip of sorts. We will be back in the Last City, grouping up with the rest of the team. Before we go, I must tell you that we might be gone for a few months, at minimum. At most...Xhaiden will be a year and a half older. Maybe more. This is as serious as it gets. Oryx, the original Taken King, is back. He came back with SIVA modifications, and now he's literally perfect. He doesn't seem to want to destroy earth as of yet. He seems more concerned with destroying something else." Ishi swallowed back what, or rather who, that something else is. "Are you both okay with this?" Ianthe sat in silence beside Aleks. They looked at each other, then at once, they gave their answer.

"I don't care." They said in unison. Ishi sighed in relief.

"Good, then me and Orvar will get goin then. Have a good time ladies...wait, where's Xhaiden?" Tariks moved a hand behind the couch they sat on. A moment later, a blonde head rose with a look of embarrassment. He slowly made his way from behind the couch and searched Ishi up and down. After a minute, he frowned and looked up at him.

"Dad, where's your pool stick?" Orvar choked back a laugh as Ianthe and Aleks looked away guiltily. "Mom said you have a nice pool stick. Can I see it?" Ishi stood silently for a moment, looking at Orvar as he failed to hold back his laughter as he mumbled "Well that explains why they spoke in Fallen...", and at the two women looking like they had stolen a cookie and got caught. "Orvar, what do they mean by 'pool'?"

"I'll tell you when you're older, Ishi." Orvar said behind his hand. Ishi was about to question him further when Ghost materialized.

"Leo just called. He has Jordan. All we have to do now is get our paradoxical Warlock hippies and we can meet Cayde." Ishi nodded and Ghost vanished. The hard part wasn't getting into The Tower. It was getting out. There was no simple way that a Hunter that is at this point almost certainly publicly known as an enemy to The Tower was just going to leave with three other people in tow. But Ishi had a plan to get out of there, right in front of Zavala, if need be.

He just had to hope that the key part of the plan wasn't gone when he got there.


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: Who likes weekends with no plans? I do! Almost as much as these two love fire and bullets! Ladies and Gents, I present to you the "Paradoxical Warlock Hippies" of the Fireteam._

After saying their goodbyes, Ishi and Orvar boarded Ishi's ship, and took off for the Last City. Their plan was simple, as far as getting in was concerned.

"Ishi, you do realize that this could easily end in utter failure right?" Orvar questioned as the ship began its take off.

"It'll be fine," Ishi responded, waving away the doubt. "All we gotta do is get to the City, find a ship that's heading to The Tower, and ask for a ride." Orvar crossed his arms and leaned back into the seat.

"What happens if they don't agree?"

"Who said they would have to agree?" Ishi looked at Orvar, who looked back at him incredulously.

"Ishi, are you planning to just...what's the word? Illegally hitchhike?" Orvar said.

"Uhm, I think the word you're looking for is actually a name. Stowaways." Ishi corrected.

"Oh, thanks, I forgot that IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT'S CALLED, IT'S ILLEGAL AND SKETCHY AND-"

"And you are totally on board with this aren't you?" Ishi interjected.

"Oh, absolutely. Just wanted to make sure you knew that this probably won't work and is very much illegal." Orvar smiled and closed his eyes.

"Still wish we could have brought Tariks," Orvar said with a sigh. "Would have been great to have snuck in a Fallen. The look on Niku and Tony's face would have been beautiful." Ishi chuckled softly.

"Yeah, but do you realize that the odds of us getting a ride legitimately, which is already stupidly low, would be lower if we showed up with a Fallen?"

Orvar sighed again. "Yeah, that's true. Plus one of those two would have killed him without a second thought."

Ishi nodded his head in agreement. He laughed softly.

"Do you remember when we were at the Totem Relay back on Oryx's ship? Where those Acolytes were all just sitting there, and we were trying to figure out a game plan?" Ishi asked. Orvar laughed loudly in response. "Yeah, I remember that. Niku unloaded his SUROS into the first group and Tony threw both his Solar grenades into the other one." Orvar shook his head with a soft smile. "Those two are the most calm and laid back people I've ever met, but they would burn down The Tower and write their names in bullets and flame for fun in an instant if they could. No wonder Zavala exiled them to the Old Tower." Ishi nodded. "So it's better that we didn't bring Tariks. He wouldn't have lasted a second up there with those two." The Last City came into view, the sun setting over it giving it a soft orange glow as the bustling city began to slow. Ishi looked for a place to land, while Orvar began adjusting his cloak and tinkering with his helmet.

"Finding a ship shouldn't be a problem, just getting permission to hitch a ride might be." Ishi said as he brought the ship to the ground. "I think the weapon shipments for Banshee are supposed to be heading up there in about thirty minutes. I know the place they take off from, so once we hop out, follow me." Orvar nodded, and once the ship had fully settled, they were off. The place Ishi spoke of was an used gun parts store. It was mostly filled with useless garbage and relics from the Pre-Golden age. Whenever Ishi walked by it, he would be reminded of the rifle that saved his life all those years ago, the day he woke up in that broken Cosmodrome. As they reached the building, they saw a ship being loaded with gun materials by an old, friendly looking woman with short white hair. Her shirt was covered in gun oil and she smelt of metal and work. She saw the two coming and smiled warmly.

"Howdy, boys! What can I help ya with tonight?" She asked wth an old fashioned country accent. "It's closing time right now, but anything that helps you boys to fight the good fight is more than enough reason to stay open a wee bit longer." Orvar took the lead, the more outgoing of the two. He removed his mask, pushing back his unkept dark green hair and smiled brightly at the woman. She whistled and put her hands on her hips. "Well aren't you just the looker! If I were twenty years younger, I'd give you one heck of a time!" Orvar laughed and blushed openly. "I'm sure you would ma'am, you look quite nice yourself." He said in response, keeping his tone polite and his posture correct.

The old lady giggled and waved her hand in front of her face.

"Oh stop it, I'm gonna get redder than them sun covered Warlocks." She giggled again, composing herself, but smiling brighter than before.

"Now what can I help y'all boys with?"

"Actually, miss, we were wondering if you were about to take those materials up to the Tower. We can help you load the rest, if you wouldn't mind dropping us off at the old one." The old lady stretched her back, then rubbed her chin as she thought about the question.

"Now what would y'all boys need at the old tower? Y'all ain't gonna do nothin fishy are ya?" Orvar laughed and shook his head, putting his hands up defensively. "Oh no ma'am, of course not! It's just...well, you know how us Hunters are. Always snooping around and what not. We just want to explore a little bit is all." The old lady looked at them hard for a moment, then grinned. "Oh, is that all? Now see, I thought y'all were trying to go and see them two Warlocks up there. The ones that Zavala fella sent up there." Orvar blanched as Ishi coughed. The old lady laughed heartily and picked up a box of weapon materials.

"But what do I know, I'm just a crabby ol' gunsmith with too much time on 'er hands." She handed the box to Orvar, who barely managed to hold it up.

"Well y'all better start filling 'er up if y'all wanna get up there to 'snoop around' like y'all want to." Orvar and Ishi looked at each other dumbly for a moment. The old lady sighed. "Oh, I mean, unless y'all boys don't wanna go up there or anything..." Ishi quickly picked up a box, struggling with it as well as Orvar carried his into the ship. The old lady laughed and picked two of the heavy boxes up and casually walked past them both. "Cmon boys, don't let this frail little ol' lady outdo ya!" She laughed and went to pick up the next batch.

Orvar and Ishi watched her with disbelief. "She's not human. There's no way she's human."

Orvar mumbled as he put the box into the ship. "She's not even half my height!" Ishi said. "And she looks like a toothpick!"

"Now boys," the lady said, coming out with what looked like the last two boxes. "I may be old, but this 'toothpick' used to be quite the mean machine back in the day." She walked passed them and dropped the two boxes on the ship.

"And I still am, if need be." She said with a wink as she turned and walked off the back of the ship and toward the cockpit of the ship. Ishi and Orvar swallowed their remarks and watched her go. "Now y'all boys hop in the back and sit tight. Imma take y'all to the Ol' Tower in a jiffy!" Ishi and Orvar nodded and walked into the back of the ship, sitting down on some of the boxes as the back closed up and the engines began to hum.

"Well this worked out better than I thought it would." Orvar said as the ship took off.

"Thankfully. See? Told ya it wouldn't be that bad!" Ishi said, punching Orvar's arm playfully.

"Yeah yeah, shut up." Ishi laughed and settled down as the ship made its way to the Old Tower. After ten minutes of flight, the ship came to a halt and the back doors opened, revealing the destroyed back ended of the Old Tower, where they saw a human Warlock with tan skin and short black hair throwing palm strikes at practice dummies, each of them igniting in flame as he did. "Now y'all boys have fun with y'alls snoopin, and if y'all never need anything else, y'all just come down to my shop and ask for Rose!" The old lady, Rose, said through the intercoms. The two hopped down and waved their goodbyes to her as she took off to make her delivery to Banshee. The Solar Warlock saw them and stopped his practice, wiping the sweat off his head as he walked to them. His hands, as well as everything else about him, looked as if they were burnt. The smell of burning clothing and hair filled the air as he neared them.

"Orvar! Ishi! Hey guys! How have ya been?" He asked, pulling them both into a hug. They both hugged back awkwardly. "Hey there, Tony. We actually came to get you and Niku." Ishi said. "Yeah. It's important. Getting the whole group together at Cayde's favorite bar in day or so." Orvar added. Tony seemed to brighten up at the thought of anything involving the Fireteam coming together again. "Oh sweet! Lemme grab my gear and we can roll! Niku is over in Banshee's old spot messing with his gun if you're looking for him." Tony said.

"Thanks, Tony. You and Orvar get ready to head out, I'll grab Niku." Ishi said as he jogged out of the back of the Old Tower and into the courtyard. He turned and saw Niku, surrounded by pieces of guns, deep into his work on his so-called "prized possession".

"Heya, daddio!" Ishi said cheerfully, waving and walking over to his bench.

"Not your dad." Niku said without breaking his concentration from his project. "Aren't you technically older than me anyway? You're on'...what, 90? 91? How do you even remember to annoy me anymore?" He asked.

"Because it's built inside me to annoy you, and I'm on 99, pops!" Ishi walked behind Niku and whistled as he caught sight of the gun.

"That's quite the beast you got there, buddy. What's it called?"

"Bodycount." Niku said.

"Bodycount? Why that?" Ishi asked.

Niku sighed and finally looked up from his gun, his white Exo eyes meeting Ishi's masked purple ones.

"Because I've been working with this particular gun's firing rate, and managed to link it with with the gun's hit detection systems. When a bullet hits an enemy and kills it, the system registers the kill, and cycles up the fire rate. The way it cycles up causes the impact to increase, and in turn, causes more damage to the next target. I've also replaced the original counterbakance systems with the counterbalance systems I built and also linked it with the hit detection systems. I built my version from one of the old Fabian Strategy schematics that Banshee had left lying around, and my own little bit of modifying, so that instead of enemy proximity activating the increased stability, the killing bullet does. I can get it to stack on itself three times at its max if I'm fast enough, so I made sure to give it a large magazine, so along with the increasing damage output and fire rate, I can easily put down entire teams in Crucible with it. In other words, the higher the body count, the better the weapon. Hence, 'Bodycount'." Ishi stood quietly for a moment, looking at the gun closely. "So...it kills people...And gets better? Isn't that kinda...unfair?" Niku looked at Ishi hard. "Is it unfair that your gun makes you go invisible on reload, easier to reload on empty, and gives you higher impact on the initial shot after reloading on empty?"

"Don't forget, if I kill someone, it reactivates. And also, good point. Thanks for the gun by the way." Ishi said as his hand wandered over where his handcannon laid in its holster.

"Mhm. Now what do you want, Ishi?" Niku asked as he put his gun down and leaned back into his chair.

"Long story short, Oryx is back, has SIVA power as well as Taken energy, and is kinda really pissed at me and probably you since you're the one that actually killed him, and wants revenge. He issued a challenge to us to get stronger and fight him again when we are, so I'm getting the team back together to go and find the Shadows of Yor and learn from them. Also, we kinda disobeyed Zavala, so he is not happy with me right now, mostly because we wouldn't leave a Fallen friendly behind to die, and Cayde quit the Vanguard because of it." Niku looked at Ishi, then picked up his gun and his helmet. "Sounds like a good time. Okay. Cool. Let's go." Ishi looked at Niku as he stood and went to leave the courtyard and into the back of the Old Tower. "Did you expect me to be freaked out?" Niku asked. "All I heard out of that is 'come help me shoot stuff'. So let's go and shoot stuff." Ishi nodded and followed him out, where Orvar and Tony were waiting for them.

"I told Tony everything," Orvar said as they reached them. "He's happy to burn someone else." Tony grinned at the mention of burning something.

"Well, now all we have to do is get out of here and get to the bar where everyone else will be at." Ishi said.

"Did you plan out how to get there?" Niku asked. "We have no ships here, none that are actually usable anyway. We usually have Rose come and drop off food and supplies for us, but since she's occupied with her deliveries, the only way down is halfway through the Old Tower stairs, and then a straight path through the New Tower, where Zavala will catch us and be...unhappy with us." Ishi waved it off, then paused before he started his sentence.

"Wait a second, you know Rose?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, she brings me my gun supplies and practice targets for me and Tony." Niku explained. "Don't get sidetracked now. Focus on explaining how we're supposed to get out of here." Ishi coughed and continued with his plan.

"We're going to get our ships to fly by and pick us up. But we're stopping by the Tower first, and we are going to walk right in front of Zavala." Orvar and Tony looked at him as if he were stupid, while Niku simply shook his head. "Great plan, right up till the whole 'walk past Zavala' part." He said bluntly. "Why do we need to go there again? Last minute engram you want to get decrypted?" Ishi shook his head. "Nope. Gonna talk to Shaxx and get us set up for a match tonight." Tony grinned as Niku seemed to perk up. "Ishi, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to use Shaxx's...lack of fondness for Zavala as one of two middle fingers to Zavala's face." Orvar said with a grin of his own spreading across his face slowly. Ishi shrugged and placed his heads on his head.

"And what would be the second one?" He inquired.

"To let our little Warlock friends here go on a joyride before we go save the world?" He guessed. Ishi nodded. "Yep, but you forgot the part about showing that our tactician slash gunsmith is way better than theirs." Niku laughed and put his arm around Ishi. "I think my tactics are starting to get to you." Niku said with a wink. "Now, let's go pay Shaxx a little visit, shall we?"


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: I'm not dead guys! I was enjoying Destiny two with my clan and doing some research on some other stories I'm working on. By the next chapter, I'll tell you all about the original piece I'm working on, and soon you'll see the extra goodies I've been tinkering with for a few months now. Anyway, enjoy!_

The new Tower was built along the Last City's wall, and wasn't a long distance from the Old Tower. After what seemed to be an eternity of walking down steps, they found the exit and began their walk across the wall and toward the tower. The moon had risen up, and the stars dotting the cloudless night sky were like eyes in the blackness watching over the world. Even at night though, the Tower was still active, its bright lights shining on workers and late night Guardians coming home from strikes or patrols, or in the process of leaving to begin their own. The group walked in silence until they reached the edge of the wall where The Tower began. Ishi peered over to ensure that no one was under them, and after seeing that no one was going to become an unfortunate cushion to their fall, he gave the signal, and they dropped one by one onto the iron catwalk by the postmaster with a soft clang. A few workers looked at them, but paid them little attention. They were used to Guardians dropping from random high places at this point. It was almost as common as the dancing. Ishi and the others casually strolled into the center of The Tower, where they saw Zavala conversing with a maintenance worker. He hadn't notice them yet, but that was about to change very soon. Orvar walked up to Zavala nonchalantly and put an arm on his shoulder. Zavala sighed and didn't bother looking toward him before speaking.

"Can I help you, Hunter?" He asked with annoyance lacing his voice. Orvar looked at him stunned.

"What? How did you know I was a Hunter?"

"You smell of the DeadZone," he paused, then added "And a hint of Cayde's disgusting 'Legendarie' products." The maintenance worker giggled softly as Orvar fumed quietly before excusing herself to return to her work. Orvar recovered quickly, sighing heavily as he leaned further onto Zavala. "Can't a Hunter enjoy some quality time with his friends every once in a while? It's not like I have some evil scheme in mind that's made to not only annoy you, but also embarrass you as well as destroy your morale as a Vanguard leader or anything..." the smirk in Orvar's voice was evident as he spoke. Zavala turned with a hint of fury crossing his face. As he did, he recognized Orvar immediately, then saw the others standing off farther back. Tony and Ishi waved happily, while Niku began sprinkling bits of glitter he carried in his spare ammo pouches to "season" his foes in the Crucible. Zavala's face went from confused, to shocked, to volcanic rage in seconds, and he immediately stormed toward the group, shoving off Orvar's arm.

"You! Do you realize the trouble you've caused because of your little stunt?!" He said.

Tony, Niku, and Ishi looked at each other, then back at Zavala and almost in perfect unison replied "Who did what stunt?"

Zavala's nostrils flared as he pointed an armored finger at Ishi.

"Disobeying directing orders, harboring an enemy to the City, and now bringing EXILED Guardians into The Tower? Do you have any sense for following orders??" Ishi shrugged.

"I'm a Hunter, which means one, I don't have to listen to a word you say, because you have no say over what I can and cannot do. Two, I barely listen to Cayde, and he actually CAN tell me what to do. And three," he jammed his finger into Zavala's chest roughly. "And three, even if those first two reasons mattered, because, news flash, they don't mean diddly squat, I'm here on business. With Lord Shaxx. Not you. So if you'll excuse us..." Ishi side stepped Zavala's arm, and walked past him to Lord Shaxx's corner, where he was watching Crucible tapes from matches earlier in the day. He only made it half way when Zavala finally recovered from his point of exploding.

"I don't think so, Guardian. You have no right to participate in any Tower activities until further notice, and in fact, are under arrest for suspected treason, not to mention some other...matters that shall be discussed during interrogation." He pointed to Niku and Tony. "And those two rambunctious Warlocks over there are most certainly in the same boat as you." Ishi turned suddenly and looked at Zavala. "Whatever 'matters' we have to discuss, we can discuss them here, Commander. Nothing is to be hidden from my fireteam." Zavala met Ishi's glare. "I refer to Cayde's 'special assignments'. I know what you're doing out there, Guardian, if you even deserve that title after what you've done, and you will answer for them."

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir," Ishi spat the word as he closed the gap between them and pressed his helmet up against Zavala's skull. "But if your insinuating that I've done some awful horror against Guardian kind, then you are sorely mistaken."

Zavala's face remained impassive as he continued to stare down Ishi.

"Mistaken? Tell that to the Guardians and Ghosts who you've killed. We found Cayde's stash of reports, and we found your name along with another who participated in these atrocities, and worse." The last part threw Ishi off guard. He was the only one that he knew of that had done wet work for Cayde. He tore his head from Zavala roughly and turned back toward Lord Shaxx's corner. Orva, Tony, and Niku stared at the exchange in silence. They knew he did wet work for Cayde, but they were just as lost as him about the other participant. Luckily, Orvar took the situation and turned it around before it degraded any further.

"So, who exactly is going to stop us from attending Crucible matches and arresting us? I don't see any Peacekeepers around anymore." Orvar said as he walked past Zavala with his hands on his head.

"I will be taking you all in personally, and anyone who attempts to intervene will be accompanying you all to your cells, and until we see fit, you and your posse will not be participating in any Tower events."

"Awe, not even the Crucible?" Tony said loudly in feigned sadness.

"Especially the Crucible." Zavala replied bluntly.

Just like that, the bait had been taken. No sooner had those words left Zavala's mouth did Lord Shaxx come striding in from his post.

"What's this talk about banning someone from MY Crucible arenas?" Lord Shaxx said as he walked up to Zavala. His aura was that of power and respect. You may respect Zavala out of respect of his rank, but you respect Lord Shaxx because he was a man worthy of it, and he would break your skull in like a dead twig if you didn't.

"I did, Shaxx, and it will-" Zavala was cut off by Lord Shaxx instantly.

"If you are to refer to me by name, Zavala, then you will do so like the rest of the Guardians here and refer to me properly."

"As should you...Lord Shaxx. My title is just as-"

"Bah! You have no title. You have a rank, and rank applies on missions for the Vanguard!" Lord Shaxx said with a laugh. His voice grew lower as he brought his masked head close to Zavala's.

"I hold a title, and my title is absolute, as is Lord Saladin's, so you will refer to me as you should, and should the time come when you are heading a mission that I am somehow apart of, then, and ONLY then, will I call you commander." He turned on his heel abruptly before speaking again. "And as for these Guardians here, these are some of my finest warriors. You wouldn't just be hurting them by denying them their right to hone their skills, but to the rookies and citizens everywhere who desire a fantastic fight and an show of paragon technique. Furthermore, you cannot ban them from the Crucible because you are not the Crucible.

I am."

Zavala was left speechless as Tony and Niku bumped fists silently and Ishi laughed hysterically. He patted Zavala on his back sympathetically.

"Maybe next time, big guy. But this time? We got you. Now excuse us while we get our ships and wait for the coordinates to our lovely match." Ishi motioned for the others, who followed his lead, all patting him on his back as they parted, with Niku adding a bit of seasoning to Zavala's head as he passed. They reached the back of the Tower center and waited for their Ghosts to get their ships to them while they watched Zavala come to grips with the situation.

"Ishi, did we have to do that? We could have just snuck into the Hangar and called our ships from there." Orvar said through a smile.

"They log all ships that come through, and you know mine had to have been marked as 'no access'." Ishi replied. "But, no, we didn't have to do it like this. It was just way more fun this way." Orvar sighed and shook his head. "So we're just going to the bar where the rest of them are right?" He asked as their ships flew in. Ishi looked at him incredulously. "They won't be ready till tomorrow night. Didn't I tell you that?" Orvar tilted his head to the side. "Then...what...?"

"We came for the same reason we told Zavala. We are gonna have some fun with an unfortunate group of Guardians before we go and kick Oryx's ass...again."

Orvar sighed but couldn't help. It chuckle as the others broke out into laughter. "You are way too risky, you know that?" Niku said.

"Oh, I know. What's the fun in playing safe? I'm a Hunter, it's what we do, remember?" With a wave, they boarded their ships, Tony and Niku on Niku's ship, and Orvar and Ishi on Ishi's, and flew into orbit, where they received the coordinates to their Crucible arena. They all smiled when they saw where they were at. They were going to have a field day with whoever was up against them.

They just hoped Lord Shaxx didn't call the mercy rule this time. They hated having their fun cut short.


	16. Hiatus Concluded

The ship Lord Shaxx "borrowed" from the Cabal, The Retribution, is known for a lot of things, mostly its terrific choke points that can lead a squad to victory, and its gaps that can lead that very same squad to embarrassing defeat. What it was not known for was its scout rifle battles. The Retribution was too narrow, and all around too small a space for anything more than an auto rifle or submachine gun. For most people, that wasn't a problem. Ishi, however, never did pay attention to those things. Even now, as him and the others raced along the outer edges of the ship, he held his prized Jade Rabbit in his hands, keeping his submachine gun stowed away while the others, save for Orvar and his bow, held their auto rifles as they jumped across the gaps to flank their enemy. They had thought that this would be a cinch, this being their favorite Crucible arena, but they ran into some unexpected trouble in the form of a silent Gunslinger who stopped them short of victory two rounds in a row. Now they sat at match point, with all their Light fully charged and ready for one last assault, hoping that they wouldn't feel the Solar burn of the Golden Gun again. There was no way in hell Ishi would let some random no name out-match him or his fireteam. As usual, Ishi took the front, followed closely behind by Niku and Tony, with Orvar covering their rear. Their goal was the heavy ammo spawn in at the center of the ship. They expected heavy resistance, mostly from that nuisance and his throwing knives, but they were a well-oiled machine, and they've overcome tougher things before. Ishi slid into cover behind a stack of crates and readied his Jade Rabbit while checking for enemy contact.

"Nothing here yet, Niku," He said after dropping his head down behind cover again. "Drop that rift here for Orvar and Tony. Me and you are gonna go and kick their teeth in at the heavy." Niku nodded and moved forward, placing his empowering rift down at Ishi's position, then motioned for the other two to move to them. Tony moved forward, but before he reached the rift, a bullet whizzed by his head, nearly removing it from his shoulders.

"Contact, center corridor!" Orvar shouted, firing an arrow down the hallway next to them and quickly ducking past the entrance as a wave of bullets and grenades flew through it in response. "How many? Which ones were they?" Niku asked, readying his Void energy for a Nova Bomb to decimate the enemy.

"Three, two Titans and a Warlock. I didn't see the Golden Gun." He replied, rolling his neck and wiping the bullet marks off his armor. Ishi knew where the Hunter was going to be. He never failed to always be there every time. He took off at a sprint back through the way they came, ignoring Niku and Orvar's shouts. He could hear that a gun fight had started behind him, but he couldn't turn back. He rounded the corner and stepped through the doors and into the outer edge of the ship and onto the supply platform, where sure enough, there he was. The Hunter was standing still, as if waiting for Ishi to get there. As before, he was silent. No rude taunts or trash talk whatsoever. As much as it pained him to admit it, Ishi respected the Hunter. He never fought unfairly. Ishi raised his Jade Rabbit up to fire, but the Hunter held up a finger in response. Confused, but curious, he lowered the gun slowly. The Hunter pulled out his handcannon, a simple revolver Ishi believed was called The Old Fashioned and pointed to the gun.

"You want a handcannon battle? What is this, some Pre-Golden Age western?" Ishi laughed softly as the Hunter simply shrugged before holstering the gun and giving an inquisitorial thumbs up. "Fine, I can work with that. Ghost, pull up my gun."

"You do know he's a better shot than you, right? You're setting yourself up for a pretty humiliating defeat." Ghost whirred. Ishi could swear he could hear the smile. "Just pull it out, Little Pebble." He growled. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." A moment passed, then he felt his Jade Rabbit leave his hands, replaced with his special handcannon, Now You See Me. The Hunter's Ghost appeared and flew straight toward Ishi, circling him wildly. "I don't think I've ever seen this gun before, Guardian!" The Ghost shouted, turning to the Hunter as he did. "It's special made, only one of its kind." Ishi said, leaving it still for the Ghost to inspect closer. "My whole Clan has unique, hand-crafted gear. Niku, the Void Warlock, is our gunsmith. Can we do the whole fighting thing now?" Ishi asked, his trigger finger itching wildly. "Oh, yeah, right. Sorry." The Ghost flew back and vanished, leaving the Hunter and Ishi alone once more. The sounds of gun fire in the distance had stopped, the sound of a Nova Bomb the period that marked the end of the battle's story. "Looks like its my team against you, Mr. Mute," Ishi said, flipping his gun casually. "I'll call em off though. I want this just between us." The Hunter nodded dropped his hand down to where his handcannon was holstered, then tossed an incendiary grenade into the air. As Hunters, they knew how long they had. in silence they watched it come to the ground, counting down the seconds as the grenade grew brighter.

Three…

Two…

One…

The grenade exploded in a brilliant flame as an ear shattering roar of pure wrath ripped through the ship, shaking the entire thing. Both Hunters drew their guns, but only Ishi aimed at his opponent. The Hunter was aiming at the entryway behind him.

"So…I take it your grenades don't normally sound like that do they?" Ishi asked quietly. The Hunter shot him a look that seemed to say, "Does ANYONE'S sound like that?!" His ghost popped out and spoke for him. "Obviously not, but funny you should mention screaming-"

The Hunter quickly grabbed his Ghost and stuffed him into his pocket before turning his head back to his door.

"The hell was that?" Niku asked over the coms, breathing heavily from the fight.

"Don't know, kinda busy. Figure it out on your own." Ishi replied before silencing the coms. The ship rumbled as if it were hit by a rocket. The Hunter glanced at Ishi, then quickly changed his aim from his door to Ishi's head. Or rather, above his head.

"I'm not falling for that childish trick. C'mon man, have some respect for me." He said as he pulled the hammer back on his handcannon. "Hell, when did it get so hot?" he mumbled as he focused onto the Hunter's head. Before he pulled the trigger, he felt the heat disappear, then come back, like something was breathing down his neck. "What the…" Ishi suddenly noticed the looming shadow that had enveloped his own, and what looked like dust floating from all around it. Slowly, he turned around to see a hulking mass of Taken flesh, with red blotches and veins running through it like the brightest ruby.

"Aw, hell…" Ishi sprinted toward the Hunter, who had pulled his gun back up to fire as the Abomination roared, sending another shockwave of hatred and wrath through the ship. Ishi pulled the coms back up as he and the Hunter dove off the platform and sprinted for the doors, the Abomination hot on their heels.

"Niku! Orvar! We got company!" he shouted as they ran inside the ship.

"No kidding, we can feel whatever it is stomping around from here." Oravr replied. "What is it, some Cabal Valus trying to take the ship in the name of the empire or-"

"It's Oryx. He must've gotten bored and sent his pet to play fetch with our bodies. It kinda looks like he brought Golgoroth back for round two." The Hunter shot a look at Ishi as they ran, his Ghost appearing to say what the Hunter was thinking.

"Unless we missed something, isn't Oryx…you know, dead?" Ishi sighed. "It's hard to explain. Somehow though, he's back, infused with SIVA, and very, VERY, pissed." Ishi returned his voice to the coms. "Where are you guys? We need to regroup and think of a battle plan." They rounded the corner and came to a stop as the Abomination came crashing through the center corridor, its footsteps leaving pools of abysmal darkness with pulsing fragments of blood-red matter within them. It scanned them with its distorted face, Ishi and the Hunter unsure if it was staring at them with unseen eyes, or smelling their fear through its nonexistent nostrils. The Hunter took aim with his handcannon and fired two quick shots as he started to retreat, Ishi doing the same. The shots surprisingly made a dent in the creature, its roars of agony ripping through the ship as the bullet holes leaked a strange combination of SIVA mites and bone dust. Ishi whooped as the Hunter pumped his fist in victory. Then the roaring turned into a low growl, and they watched with dismay as the wounds rapidly healed.

"Oh. So that's different." Ishi mumbled. The area where the wounds were then quickly coated with a strange blackness. Annoyed, Ishi shot again, hitting the same point as before, and watched as the bullets bounced off the black coating. It roared again and charged forward at breakneck speed, forcing Ishi to roll to the side while the Hunter slid between its legs. The Hunter paused and looked at the creatures back for a moment before it spun back around and screamed, releasing Axion Darts toward him. He shot down two, but ran out of ammo before he could take hit the last one. It connected with his chest, sending him flying into the wall. He fell to his knees and shook his head as the Abomination charged again. Ishi moved without hesitation, pulling his smoke capsule free from his pouch and lobbing it in front of him, directly in between the Hunter and the charging Abomination. As it landed, Ishi slid into it, the detonation, cloaking both him and the Hunter. The Abomination slowed, its head tilted to the air as it tried to sniff them out. Ishi lifted the Hunter to his feet, and together they made their silent escape, creating enough distance for them to be out of the Abomination's nose as the cloaking wore off. Once they were clear, Ishi started his coms again.

"Niku, meet us at the choke point by the pillar heavy. That communications room I think?" Ishi said as they rounded the corner to their destination. Niku and the others were gathered in the center of the room already. "Way ahead of you. You said this had something to do with Oryx?" Niku asked as he loaded a shell into his rocket launcher. "Yeah, it looks kinda like Golgoroth." Niku and the others shuddered at the shared memory and continued to ready themselves for battle. As Ishi joined the group and loaded his handcannon, he caught the silent Hunter placing tripmine grenades on the openings of the large entry way they came through, and Tony behind him, curiously watching him work.

"Whatcha doin with those?" Tony asked, peeking over the Hunter's shoulder casually. The Hunter pointed to his calves, then to the tripmines, then made a 'boom' hand gesture before returning to his task. Tony stared blankly for a second before shrugging and giving a thumbs up. "Sounds cool!" he said happily as he turned away and went back to the others.

"So, what's Mr. Silent Guy doing over there?" Ishi asked when Tony came back.

"Dunno. Something about explosions, I think?" Ishi scowled underneath his helmet and looked towards the Hunter. "Hey, mouthpiece, what's your Guardian doing?" Ishi shouted. The Hunter's Ghost materialized and hovered over to the him.

"For one, I'm not a mouth piece, and two I can't read his mind, we don't have some telepathic link." The Ghost looked at his Guardian and sighed "He used to talk, you know, but he stopped one day, and I really don't know why…" the Ghost paused before letting out another sigh. "Anyway, from what he saw on the Abomination, it has weak points on its calves. We read about that Golgoroth thing, and you're right, it resembles it, but with a few changes to it."

"Like its weak point seems to be on its legs, not its back." Niku surmised. The Ghost nodded before adding "And its back is where you damage it." The others all nodded in understanding. "So, once its back opens up, who's gonna hit it?" Tony asked. "Well, it needs to be one shot, whatever it is." The Ghost hovered back and forth in front of the group as it spoke. "It showed rapid regeneration of injured areas, followed by adding an overlay of some protective coating that stops bullets outright." The Ghost stopped hovering and whirred in thought.

"I got it." Orvar readied his bow as he stepped forward. The others looked at him incredulously as the Ghost hovered in silence. "Orvar, look-" Ishi began before Orvar pulled an arrow free and held it against where Ishi's mouth would be, had it not been covered by his helmet. "I got something real special for that thing, and it kills two birds too."

"the other bird is your ego being fueled by my jealous ass, isn't it." Ishi stated bluntly. Orvar just stared, the grin apparent even behind the mask. Ishi sighed and pushed the arrow away from him.

"This better be good." He grunted. Orvar turned toward the doorway triumphantly. "Oh, it's going to be glorious." Niku sighed. "I'm glad you two still love each other so much, but hasn't it been to quiet for a supposed Golgoroth-style monster to be stomping around a relatively small ship?" As he finished, a roar ripped through the ship, followed by increasingly powerful shakes as the Abomination charged in their direction The Hunter ran to the group, who had all scattered toward different areas of cover, their guns readied for a fight.

"Oh, there his is." Orvar said calmly, moving forward with an aura that exuded the utmost of confidence. The Abomination barreled around the corner, locking eyes with Orvar before howling in rage as it rushed through the doorway. As its legs passed the tripmines, they exploded violently, tearing the legs of the beast asunder and sending it crashing to the floor face first. It screamed in agony, but even as it fell, the legs were already being remade and coated with the black coating. Struggling, its hands found purchase on the floor and forced itself onto its knees. Orvar never ceased his stride, gradually picking up speed as the abomination began to fire Axion darts out at him. Orvar's body began to glow faintly, the soft Solar light of a Golden Gun being activated. Yet, no gun was summoned, the Solar energy converging into the bow in his hands as he reached max speed.

"Hey, he knows the weak point is on his back, right?" Ishi's Ghost whispered. "I'm hoping…?" Ishi said quietly. Suddenly, Orvar jumped into the air, spinning and putting his back toward the Abomination.

"Get ready to rush in!" Niku shouted. "He's not-" Niku stopped midsentence as he watched Orvar, with a flourish, draw back his bow, an arrow of blinding Solar Light nocked, then vanish, a trail of energy going through the Abomination as he appeared behind it. He let the arrow loose, a line piercing directly through the creatures back and out of its head. The abomination never had time to scream. Not even to register its own demise. Its body began to wither and vanish in the usual yellow ash of a victim of Solar energy, before nothing of its existence remained. No one noticed the disappearing of the Abomination. All eyes were glued on Orvar, standing proudly with his bow as the Solar Light faded from it.

"Hey, Ishi. Did I kill both birds?" Orvar asked, his ego overflowing.

"…Fuck you."


End file.
